Letting It Go
by Wicked Thespian
Summary: Elsa goes on her own adventure when Hans returns for some unexpected trouble. This is an adventure and romance story, based on the movie Frozen. This is the last chapter, guys! Thank you all for your support, it's been much appreciated! Let me know if you'd like me to write more, and if you've enjoyed this story! I'm sad to see it end. Thank you all!
1. Chapter 1

**(Hello! This is a story I wrote over the course of a few months, late at night after long days at work. It kept me happy and sane, but I know there are probably tons of errors and stupid things in it. Please ignore those! This is the first story I've completed in a while, and I'll be uploading a chapter every few days or so! Please leave reviews if you like it! Thank you for reading =] )**

The Queen of Arendelle looked up at the clear, summer sky and smiled at the sun. She was know for her ice, for the winter, and though her magic was certainly easiest to associate with the coldest of seasons, she had a fond spot for the warm weather, as well. Maybe because he knew her magic was not limited, even in the sunlight: nothing could melt if she was there to keep it from doing so. Her creations were made of ice, and they shimmered like beautiful crystals, orange, red and purple as the sun moved across the sky.

Elsa was wearing a light orange dress, short and cut to fit her angular, small frame perfectly. She was a beautiful creature, with her silky white skin and piercing, icy eyes. Her hair was the lightest of blond, and the light color of her dress was perfectly complimented by her light features, and she bore a kind of ethereal, regal air about her. She held her hands in front of her, hands folded together and resting against her body, a light shawl draped behind her back, over her arms at the elbows. She smiled pleasantly as a young girl came up to her and bashfully said hello, nodding her head and making light conversation with the little girl until she was taken away by her parent with bashful apologies and deep, respectful bows.

Anna, the Princess of Arendelle, came up behind her sister and elbowed her lightly. She grinned broadly, having witnessed the little exchange. Her sister thought she was being composed and kind, and while the latter part was true, the former was anything but. Anna had seen the tension in her body, the small grimaces, the confusion and the fear of doing anything wrong. Elsa was far too nervous around kids.

"You need to relax," Anna said teasingly, and Elsa wrinkled her nose. "They're just kids! That little girl just wanted to meet the Queen."

"I was nice to her," Elsa said, looking a little worried, though she knew her sister was just giving her a hard time.

"Remember when we were kids? You just have to keep a little of that with you. You don't have to be the adult, not all the time, with them. You need to have a bit more fun. Actually, that's probably a good note for you, you know. For all the time. Loosen up!"

Elsa sighed, though she supposed Anna had some small semblance of a point. The Queen took her role very seriously these days, and she did not want to hurt her reputation any more than she had on her coronation. It had all been one very large mistake that had spiraled out of control, but she carried the guilt of it even now. She did not forgive herself, not really, for running away from her problems, and for putting Anna in danger. She had let her fear get the better of her, and now knew better than to give in to it, than to let it control her as she told herself she was controlling it. Living in hiding, locking her fears away, had nearly undone her Kingdom and killed her sister. She was finding balance now, but she felt as though she had still not fully earned back the trust of her people, or her family, no matter how many times they reassured her that they were happy, and that she was doing a good job.

It motivated her to continue being the best monarch as she knew how, following in the footsteps of her beloved Father and Mother, lost to Arendelle for too soon in a tragic shipwreck. They had been the most well respected and loved rulers the Kingdom had seen in ages, and Elsa did not think she was yet able to fill the holes they left behind. She was trying, but she was only one person.

With magical ice powers, but they were not really that useful when it came to the day to day life of a Queen.

"I'll try," Elsa said at length, with a put upon sigh. She glanced at her sister, who was making a face at her, holding her breath and puffing out her cheeks. It was the face she usually made when she was trying too hard not to say something painfully sarcastic. Elsa squinted at her. "You could do with having a little less fun, you know."

"Well maybe if I ever have to be Queen, I'll keep that in mind," Anna winked at her sister and gave Elsa a playful shove, before bouncing off and away from her. She waved to someone across the way, and Elsa followed where her sister's gaze was leading to spot Kristoff, Anna's boyfriend. The love of her life, as she often said, but Anna had a way of letting her love get ahead of her. Her feelings were wild, and she was very free with giving them. That had gotten her into trouble once before, and though Elsa knew that Kristoff was honest and his love was true, and one day they would be married. But that would be one day: Elsa was in no hurry to give them her blessing.

She'd learned her lesson from the last one.

Elsa shook her head and turned, moving from the plaza. There was an open market in full swing today, and everyone was out in the sun to enjoy it. The Queen and Princess made regular appearances in town for gatherings like this, and it helped them maintain a close relationship with the people of their Kingdom. As Elsa walked from the plaza, people smiled and waved at her, bowing their heads respectfully and wishing the Queen a good day. She smiled and nodded back, but something inside her stirred. She was feeling listless now, something having set her off kilter. Maybe Anna's bubbly enthusiasm, or her pointing out how awkward she was with kids.

No, Elsa knew it was something else. A loneliness she did not like to think about. A small jealousy she did not want to admit to. She moved away from the happy scenes, the couples out on a date in the sunshine, the families shopping for presents and surprises, to be alone. Sometimes, it was just easier for her to find a quiet place to clear her head and master her emotions. She crossed one of the grand bridges, into the forests just beyond the Kingdom.

It was not wise for royalty to wander alone, and not too far from the Kingdom, and she bore that in mind. She found a small clearing near enough to the road for her to not forget where it was. Sighing, she took a deep breath and turned her face up toward the sky, eyes closed, feeling the warmth of the sun as it shimmered down on her. Opening her eyes, she lifted her hands and called a sheet of snow over the ground, painting the trees with hanging icicles. She crafted each one with smooth sides, like crystals, and watched the way the light reflected off and through them, dancing on the snow. There was a soft wind that made the colors dance, and Elsa smiled as she watched it.

Using her powers used to be a curse. She was scared of herself, of what she could do to people if she was not careful. All her young life was spent hiding her powers away, even being ashamed of them. What sort of a Queen was meant to rule over both people and ice? Who would want a sorceress as their ruler? And how could she control the lives of hundreds, when she could not even control her own magic? She had feared the throne, as much as she had feared her abilities. Now, however, she used her skills to calm herself, to practice control and to simply feel more at one with who she was.

She did not have to hide any more. Even if she still, more often than not, found herself alone.

"Still bringing winter where it doesn't belong, I see."

The voice startled her from her peaceful musings, her heart leaping into her throat as she turned suddenly to see the source. He was standing just where her blanket of snow ended, not stepping in the white powder, and for that not alerting her to his presence before he spoke. She was connected to her magic in many ways, and he seemed to understand that, watching her with his cool, smarmy grin, his eyes wicked and his contempt for her more than obvious.

Hans, thirteenth son of the Southern Isles, hated Arendelle and its sister royalty with everything he was. They had ruined his life, they had sent him back to his Kingdom shamed and the subject of ridicule once he returned to his own country. His brothers tormented him relentlessly about his failure, about his efforts to take over another Kingdom. His father hated him, disowned him, for his treason and the damage he caused between the diplomatic relationship between the two Kingdoms. He was stripped of his title and banished from his own home, a villain in the lands of his youth, in the eyes of his family. He was not allowed to be where his heart yearned, and his wandering had brought him here. Once a Prince, now a bandit. It was disgraceful, and he hated every moment of his new existence.

And he blamed it all on Anna and Elsa.

"What are you doing here?" Elsa breathed, her voice catching in her throat. Hans had very nearly destroyed her life. His efforts to use Anna, to take the throne from her by tricking her into marriage, had been terrible enough. But he used Elsa's fears, her powers, against her, and almost made her kill her own sister. Not to mention the fact that he had tried to murder the Queen himself. He was a monster, who had no heart and had not felt any guilt in his quest for a throne.

She had almost lost everything to him. Sending him away seemed like the answer, as she had hoped the King of the Southern Isles would have taken care of him there. Sealed him away, or at least made sure he never returned to Arendelle. Instead, Hans was standing here now, sneering as if he knew something she did not, holding some invisible power over her. He was cocky, and she did not mistake the dangerous glint in his eyes as he looked her over.

"You know, I never stopped to admire how beautiful you are, Elsa. Your sister is pretty, don't get me wrong, and was very fun to be around. But you? Your beauty is unmatched. That color suits you."

Elsa felt her skin crawl with his compliments, and she held her hands in front of her protectively.

"What are you doing here? You are not welcome in Arendelle. You should be imprisoned for daring to show your face in these lands."

Hans pouted at her, shaking his head slowly and waving his hand dismissively. The ice at his feet melted away with his gesture, and he stepped forward onto the grass it revealed. Elsa's eyes widened in surprise, and she took an instinctive step backwards as a result, short spires of ice raising out of the ground in front of her, jagged and twisted. Hans glanced at the ice and chuckled, shaking his head.

"I understand you better now, Ice Queen. I've spent a lot of time, in fact, learning about you. About your magic. You are such a scared little girl, I can see it in your eyes. You don't have to be afraid of me, Elsa. I'm not here for your Kingdom."

He motioned with his hand again, more forcefully than before, and more of the snow on the ground melted away, revealing a foot or two of green grass. He moved forward over it, stopping once again when he came to the line of snow. They were only a few feet apart now, and Elsa backed up again, shaking her head slowly.

"I don't know what you've done," she said slowly, trying to master her emotions but fear creeping into her voice as she spoke, making it tremble, "but you've made a mistake in coming here." She felt her back meet a tree and she jumped at the contact, immediately feeling trapped. Jagged ice rose out of the ground, twisting around her, creating a dangerous, spiny shield between her and the exiled Prince. She took a breath, looking at the nice, not having put thought into the construction, but feeling safer for it. She could see through the ice, as clear as crystals, and she watched as he stared at her, his eyes burning. There was something strange in them, she realized now. Something unnatural. "Hans..." she said slowly, her voice barely above a whisper, her body shuddering, "what have you done?"

Hans grinned at her then, his expression terrible and lacking anything close to human warmth. There was no compassion, no joy: nothing that seemed to reflect any kind of a soul in his face. He lifted his hand with an easy shrug.

"Let me show you," he said, with a calm air that pierced Elsa and made her blood run cold. That was a strange sensation. Though she was known as the Snow Queen, she could not feel the cold. She was a gentle and warm creature, and only through fear did she understand what ice could really feel like.

Her gaze focused on his hand as he lifted it, as if he were moving at a fraction of the normal speed of the world. Small sparks shimmered around his palm, which was flat and facing toward her, then a deep orange flame curled through the air, thin like a serpent and moving like oil. It curled around his hand without leaving any marks, and he showed no sign of pain. With a hiss, it leapt forward and slammed into the ice barrier, blazing heat bursting through the shield as it shattered like glass. Elsa let out a short scream as it rushed in toward her, slamming her back against the tree. Her head bashed back with the jolt, fire blazing by her, curling around her body and vanishing behind her. The tree did not catch it, standing with no burns as Elsa fell away from it, crumpling to the grass.

She saw her own blood spreading away from her, and felt it running warm down her smooth skin, seeping into the light fabric of her summery dress. Her arms throbbed from the burn of the fire, and she could not move as she heard Hans' footsteps drawing nearer to her. He kneeled beside her, bending to put himself in her dimming line of sight, and her scared gaze shifted up to his face as he smiled at her. He reached out and caressed her cheek. His touch was hot and she flinched, whimpering softly.

"I'm going to show you everything," he said quietly, as Elsa felt her tenuous grip on consciousness finally slipping. The pain in her body was too much, and she closed her eyes despite her best efforts to fight against the urge. Darkness took her shortly after, the world growing quiet, and the fear, at least, leaving her for now. Until she woke up.


	2. Chapter 2

Anna looked up at the sky and saw that it was growing dark, frowning at the short hours of the day and sighing miserably. Beside her, Kristoff noticed her expression and looked up as well, catching on. He sighed as well, much in the same way as the Princess, looking at her unhappily.

"I guess the market will be closing up soon, when the sun goes down. I thought summer days were supposed to be longer than winter ones? Didn't really feel like it."

"It was just the first one," Anna said bravely, nodding her head and gripping his arm. "We'll have tomorrow."

He looked at her, holding his solemn expression for a good minute before he cracked and grinned at her, wrapping his arms around her and hugging her to him. She giggled and let him haul her off her feet, snuggling against his muscular frame and thriving on the affection she was being showered in.

Kristoff was a very loving guy, despite his gruff appearance and his penchant for sarcasm. He was kind and he was honest, and she imagined that came from being raised by such a large and loving family. Of trolls, but really, they had a far worse reputation than they really deserved. They were kind, and had helped save Anna's life at least twice, as far as she knew. They had adopted Kristoff and his reindeer, Sven, and she felt they had done a marvelous job in raising him. Better than a lot of human families, that much was for sure.

It was unconventional, but maybe that was why they worked so well. After all, Anna could not say she was a 'normal' girl. Not only was she a princess of a Kingdom, but she was also sister to a woman who could control ice and snow through magic. Magic that she had been born with, though no one else in the family possessed it. Sometimes Anna was a little jealous of that, but always reminded herself of the long years Elsa spent suffering for it, hiding herself away and taking the weight of protecting everyone onto her shoulders. All alone.

"Hey, have you seen Elsa?" Anna realized that she had not seen her sister since earlier that day, a few hours passed now. She thought she could remember seeing Elsa walking off somewhere, but surely she would be back by now. It was like her to slip off for a little while, to be alone and do whatever it was she did when she needed quiet time, but not like her to stay out so long.

"Maybe she's gone back to the castle. She looked a little tense before," Kristoff said with a shrug. He offered a carrot to Sven, who eagerly munched it down. The Reindeer absolutely loved carrots, and demanded them any time he was out in the market. And when he was not.

"Maybe..."

Anna was not sure why she was feeling so ill at ease. It was not like her, to be paranoid and anxious, but she supposed she had grown up a little bit in the time since Elsa's coronation. She reached her hand out and Kristoff took it, though she did not look back at him, tugging her toward him as she hurried to the castle. He followed her with a surprised yelp, leaving Sven to find his way back to the stables, though he never had trouble with it before and Olaf would likely find him and help him back later.

An enchanted, living snowman could be useful, in that way.

"What's the rush, Anna?"

The Princess did not answer right away, hurrying as fast as he little legs could carry her. Kristoff fell into pace beside her, looking at her and frowning at the worry he saw on her face. He had no siblings, not really, but he knew what it was to worry about family, and understood that there were some things that did not need to be said. Feelings, good or bad, often guided them and could lead to some rather strange situations if allowed. Now Kristoff was starting to get a bad feeling about all this, and he was just beginning to wonder if it was just Anna's rubbing off on him when they reached the castle door.

"Has Queen Elsa returned to the castle?" Anna asked the guard on duty politely, as he bowed to her deeply. He shook his head and looked at her in confusion.

"Not that I have seen, my lady, and I have not left this post all day. Is there something the matter, Princess Anna?" It was a guard's duty to protect the royal family, and seeing one of the ruling sisters with such a look of worry on her face was enough to put the soldier on edge. He gripped his mostly ceremonial spear and watched her keenly, as if he expected her to say there was war on the wind.

"No, nothing's the matter," she said after a tense moment, with a smile. "It's okay. I'll go find her. Maybe she slipped by or... or maybe she's still in town. I guess I just haven't been paying enough attention. You know Elsa!"

"Yes, she likes to go without guards," he said, his tone a bit clipped. All he wanted to do, after all, was protect them, and sometimes they made that a very difficult goal to complete. Both sisters had their own ways, and yet most of the time they both preferred to be treated like the rest of the common rabble, and not be escorted by knights or guards, as they were entitled.

"I know," Anna said, patting his arm apologetically. "I'll go find her, don't worry!"

"Princess Anna, I could have some of my men..." he started, but she was already off and hurrying back the way she had come, dragging Kristoff with her, before he could finish the offer. The guard sighed and watched her go, bound to his post without other orders, and wishing that, one day, the ruling family would understand the importance of his post, and the services he, as Captain, offered.

He doubted that day would be any time soon, however.

"Anna, maybe we should listen to him and get some guards to go look for her?" Kristoff said, once again using his longer legs to fall into stride with the hurrying Princess. She gave him and look that did not require a scoff, but he got one anyway. He sighed and wondered why he tried to help her or keep her safe, as she seemed perfectly content to constantly throw herself into potential danger head on. Not that he wanted to think that there was any danger ahead, but she was making him freak out a little bit. He shook his head, trying to clear it, getting frustrated with himself. "Well you didn't even look in the castle, what if she is just in there and the guard missed it?"

"That's the Captain of the Guard," she said wistfully, sounding proud. Her tone was warm and she seemed very fond of the man in question. She had known him all her life, after all, and he had been there for the family when her parents died, though he never inserted himself into their lives as some sort of a replacement. No, instead he worked in the background, ensuring their safety, keeping their secrets, and giving them a home they could consider a sanctuary. Now that the gates were open all the time, and people came into the castle more freely, his job had certainly changed, but her appreciate for him had not ebbed. Though she rarely spoke to him, and probably vexed him with her every action, she still appreciated him. "He doesn't miss anything."

It did not take long for the duo to reach the bridge out of the Kingdom and into the forests and hills beyond the city. It was quiet and warm, and Anna saw no trace of her sister. Usually, it was easy to find her: just follow the snow. But there was no snow, no trail. She was not out here, as far as Anna could see, and she explored the usual areas until Kristoff reached out to grab her arm once more.

"Come on, Anna. She's not out here and it's getting dark. I'm sure she's just back at the Castle, and we just missed her. I mean, where could she have gone? Everyone was out in the plaza and she was there too, everyone saw her. It's fine, come on. Before the wolves come out and eat us. We already did the whole run away from wolves thing, and once is more than enough for me."

Anna looked at him and did not feel particularly comforted, though he was trying as best as he knew how, at any rate. He was a sweet heart, but he had a hard time showing it. He moved to put his arm around her and hugged her close, which helped her relax and it even helped her to believe him a bit more.

"Okay, maybe you're right. Maybe she's just back home. I don't know, I just have such a bad feeling, I would feel better if I could just see her. I don't like not knowing where she is, you know? I always feel like... bad things happen if we're too far apart." She sighed, thinking she sounded silly, and like an over protective baby, but she could hardly explain the bond the two sisters had. They were, after all, the only family the other had, and Anna nearly died proving her love for her sibling. She would risk her life all over again, as well, if it meant saving Elsa from harm or suffering. A noble gesture, and a comfort in the right situation, but right now Anna felt impotent and lost.

If she didn't know for sure that Elsa was even in trouble, how could she help or protect her? It would all be so much easier, and her anxiety would be eased, if she could just see her sister.

Kristoff did not question her further, though, and managed to avoid teasing her or making her feel bad for her concern. He just kept his mouth shut, and walked hand in hand with her back to the castle. The walk was just as brisk as before, Anna nearly running but keeping herself just barely in check. She did not look at the Captain as she entered the castle, unable to take his knowing gaze at the moment. Kristoff, however, nodded at him surreptitiously. The Captain took that for a cue, and once the duo were inside the castle, he moved to organize some men to go into the forest and search, just in case.

The Princess of Arendelle left Kristoff in a hallway, skittering through the familiar castle and calling for Elsa as she went, her voice echoing off the walls as it used to do when she was a child, calling for her sister to come out of her room to play. Elsa, however, was not in her room this time, and when Anna knocked on the door it creaked open, unlocked and not even closed. She peered inside but the room was undisturbed from when it was made up that morning, after Elsa rose and got ready for the day. The bed was smooth and unrumpled, and there was no sign that anyone had been in it for longer than what it took the chamber maids to clean.

Closing the door and leaning back against it, Anna frowned and a flurry of thoughts banged around in her head, falling over one another as they leaped for attention, consuming her focus.

Elsa was the responsible one. She was the one that always stuck to the schedule. In fact, she was the one that wrote the schedule. Elsa was organized and reliable, and she was serious about being the Queen everyone wanted her to be. That made her a bit of a stick in the mud sometimes, but it was still much better than it had been, before the events of her coronation. Back when Elsa was hiding away from everyone, and would not even see Anna except when absolutely necessary. At least now they had become friends again. The fact that Elsa was not there now, not hiding and certainly not where she usually was, made Anna worry in a new way. She was not sure what to do with it, in fact. The worry constricted around her heart, and made her body feel heavy.

Dread. It was something like dread.

"I don't know where she is," Anna said quietly, as Kristoff found her and walked slowly to join her against the wall. He leaned back, slumping his shoulders and frowning at her. She was worried about Elsa, but he was worried about her. Anna had made herself at home in a large part of his heart, and if she was upset, he felt it.

"I'm sure she's okay, Anna. What could have happened? I mean, it was just... a nice day. We can ask some folks around the castle if they've seen her and, if you want, I'll go into town and ask around. See if anyone saw her walk off somewhere, okay? She hasn't been gone that long. And she's the Queen. She doesn't really need to ask any one for permission. Maybe she went out on a walk and got too far away. She could be staying somewhere else for the night, since it's so dark out."

Anna watched Kristoff without an expression, her big, doe eyes drinking in his posture, flickering as she absorbed his words. He was not sure what to think of the look she was giving him, but when she thumped into his chest and buried her face against him, he needed no more clues. He put his arms around her and felt her small frame shaking as he comforted her, kissing the top of her head and closing his eyes as she clung to him. He had never seen her so worked up, and once again he found himself worrying through her, her emotions spilling into him like run off from a stream.

Hopefully the Captain of the Guard was as good as she said he was, then he could solve the whole problem and put them all at ease. It had been such a nice day, too. Kristoff could only hope that it ended on a good note, and all this anxiety was for nothing.

"Come on, Anna. Let's get you to bed, okay? It's been a long day and there's nothing else you can do tonight. I'm sure she's safe. Just trust her, and me, and we'll all have breakfast together in the morning." He smiled at her and she finally looked up at him, sighing softly and nodding her head. He kept his arm around her and walked her to her bedroom, having been granted his own room in the castle, but some halls away. Elsa was protective in her own right, but Kristoff had never made a comment on it.

Mostly because he was sure the only other option would be an igloo on the roof.

"Good night. Try not to worry about it any more until morning, okay? Just sleep, and it'll all work itself out. There's no reason to panic."

"I hope you're right," Anna said after a long moment of stiff silence. She did not sound convinced, but she kissed him and retired to her room without any more argument. He would just have to hope she stayed there, and did not try anything stupid.


	3. Chapter 3

Sounds returned to Elsa before sight. She could not open her eyes too quickly, her head throbbing and even the dim light beyond her eyelids was too much for her to take in right away. She listened, instead, for a long moment. At first, she could only hear her own ragged breaths, each breath coming out with a small whimper of pain. Her arms were aching, and so was her chest. She didn't hear anyone else, at least not near enough to her that their breathing was more evident than her own. In fact, everything around her seemed to be still and quiet. There was nothing at all.

After what felt like half a second, but was really closer to ten minutes, Elsa opened her eyes very slowly. The flickering light around her burned her eyes and she winced until her sight cleared a bit more. When she was able to look around, she found that there was not much more to see than the inside of her eyelids. She was in some sort of a room, but there was nothing in it. No window, no furniture, nothing. If there was a door, she could not see it in the seams of the walls, and the only object to obstruct the smooth walls was one solitary torch, mounted firmly to the wall and unable to be removed. It was too high up, anyway, for her to try without help.

Her magic, she imagined, would make reaching it easy, if she really wanted it, but just thinking about that made her hands hurt. She looked down at them, finding herself free of any bindings or chains, simply sitting on the floor, propped up against the wall. She was still wearing her summery dress, though it was torn and stained with blood. Her hands were burned, the skin peeled and tender flesh exposed to the air around her. She could not move them very much without pain, and she imagined the attacks against her had not been accidental. He knew she controlled her magic with her hands, and had used his magic to incapacitate her.

She noted that there was a bandage wrapped around her body, covering some cuts that her shattered ice had caused. She was not sure how serious anything was, as she could not feel anything but the pain in her hands. Her head felt light, and her vision was cloudy in a way she was unused to. It was not like anything she had felt before, even when she had gotten ill as a child. Taking a slow, deep breath, she moved to try and stand. Shifting her body seemed to send the world spinning, a rush of dizziness crashing over her so quickly she could not immediately tell where the ground was until a few minutes later, and she found herself laying on it. She'd fallen away from the wall, as helpless as a fish on land.

"Ah, you're awake," a voice said, from somewhere above her. She did not try to look up to find the source, her eyes tightly shut as her body shuddered. It did not take a lot of work to figure out who it belonged to, anyway. Hans smiled down at her, looking down into the hole from a latched trap door, tilting his head at her as she curled on the floor. "I did not think you would be up so soon. I didn't want you to see this little... transition room. I'm still preparing yours, but it's almost ready."

"Where am I?"

"I don't think that is really your biggest concern at the moment, do you?"

Elsa did not answer, but she supposed he had a point. She was trapped in a hole, apparently, and he was intent on keeping her captive. He had plenty of chances to kill her, while she was unconscious, or even in the clearing of the forest, but he had chosen not to. Clearly he had a plan, and she had only just seen the start of it. And that was worrying her.

She tried to push her hands under her, but she found she had no strength in her arms and simply flopped back to the floor helplessly, bumping her head against the wall and whimpering. She shuddered and heard Hans chuckling from above her. It was only a few feet, but it sounded like he was on top of a mountain and she was in a valley.

"I wouldn't move too much, I gave you something to help you sleep. You're not going to be up and dancing any time soon. I'll be back for you in a little while. Just get some rest, hmm? I need you bright eyed when I come to collect you." She heard the trap door creaking, and then the lock clicked into place.

She was alone again, with just the flickering light to keep her company. Her head was still swimming, and she felt like the floor beneath her was rolling in slow waves, nauseating and unyielding. She kept her eyes closed and tried to will the illness away. She ended up falling to sleep. Whatever was in her system ensured she slept deeply.

Hans returned an hour or so later, opening the latch and peering down into the hole once again.

"Elsa?"

She was still, and he watched her side rise and fall with the rhythmically slow ease of sleep. She seemed so peaceful now, and he chuckled as he shoved the heavy rope ladder down into the hole. He climbed down and picked her up carefully, cradling her to him and then slinging her over his shoulder so he could climb back up the ladder. She did not stir, and he knew she was not faking being asleep. Once he got out of the pit, he closed the trap door and locked it, concealing it once more. It was nice to have a few tricks up his sleeve, and he did not want to reveal all of his secrets too soon. He picked Elsa up again, carrying the Snow Queen in a more dignified way this time, at least, holding her in both of his arms and letting her head and upper body rest against his chest. She was light in his arms, and seemed very small all of a sudden.

He almost felt bad for her. But then he remembered the way she and her sister had ruined his life.

"Here's your new room, my lady," he said, after carrying her through his new lair. The room in question was large enough to be comfortable, furnished with a soft bed, a desk, a small area for her to take care of her needs, and a chair in one corner. He put her down on the bed carefully, then picked up some chains he had waiting there. When she recovered her senses she would be a bit more dangerous, but he could not afford to keep her dosed on the drug he'd given her now. He closed one of the chains around her neck, then two cuffs on her wrists. They were connected to the cuff on her neck with very little slack, keeping her arms close to her body, bent at the elbows and resting just over her breast plate. He let her rest on her back, settling her comfortably, or as much so as he could with the chains. He did not take any chances and took a separate set of cuffs, these with a short chain, for her ankles.

Satisfied that when she woke up she would be able to cause no trouble, Hans turned his attention to other things. She had been injured in their little skirmish in the forest, and he was not sure how serious the wound really was. He was not trained in matters of healing, and had only cleaned and wrapped the wounds her ice had caused her, all the while enjoying the irony of it. She was dangerous, even if she liked to pretend her magic was good and she could control it. He had spent a long time searching for information about her powers, and in those travels he had learned far more than he could have hoped for. It had enabled him to concoct his plan for revenge.

Magic could be granted to a person in a number of different ways. Some of the most common were being born with powers, or having them forced onto a person with a curse. Elsa had been born with her magic, and was thus granted a deeper bond with her magic, and her strength grew faster than she had been able to control. It was all natural, and she had to rely on herself to be able to control it. Some who were born with magic were consumed by it, or destroyed by it. Curses were a different matter. They were meant to be punishments, and obtaining magic through a curse always came with a terrible price. The magic was based in darkness, regardless of what element or skill it might provide the user, and there was generally no way to use it for 'good'. Cursed magic was destructive, to the user and to everyone around them.

That was why it was wise to never enter into a curse unprepared.

It had taken Hans weeks to find a sorcerer powerful enough to grant him his wish. He remembered vividly the look of surprise on the man's face, once Hans found him in his isolated shack in the woods of some far off Kingdom. Never before had anyone come to him and asked to be cursed before. It had caught the sorcerer so off guard he had tried to talk Hans out of it, knowing all too well what kind of disastrous effects it would bring, but the young son of the Southern Isles would not be deterred.

He had done his research.

Magic had a funny thing about blood. Those born with magic could be part of a family that had no history of it, such as Elsa's seemed to be, and families strong in magical births could easily produce children with no powers at all. Curses, as it turned out, were very strong and were passed through the blood, sometimes for generations, until the punishment was deemed fulfilled, or the magic simply ran out. It was more limited than that of natural users, after all, and while theirs could be limitless, Curses were firmly weighted and measured. Hans understood the idea of blood Curses, and had offered a handsome payment in return for his powers.

His brothers.

Twelve young men of his blood, all able to pay in trade for the magic he now possessed. Vicious, cruel magic, created specifically to counter the ice of the Snow Queen. Fire. The most destructive and raw of all the elements, and something he felt befit the vehemence of his passion. It reflected the way the need for revenge burned inside him, and he could not have asked for anything better. In exchange, his brothers carried the brunt of the curse, the punishment, while he delighted in the power of the magic itself. Every time he cast a spell, they suffered from burns and other wounds, though he had no real way of checking in and finding out how they were faring. He would be able to use his abilities until they were all dead, and the curse started to burn him.

That was more than enough time, he felt, to accomplish his goals. And a price he was willing to pay. His brothers had cast him out, and watching them all fall, one by one, would destroy his father from the inside out. It was all too perfect, really, and he was already enjoying the way everything was falling into place.

All he had to do was keep to his plans.

Elsa let out a soft sigh, and he looked at her with a smile on his face. It was such a gentle way for her to wake up, considering her predicament, and he remained perched on the bed, waiting for her to come around this time. The potion he'd dosed her with would be wearing off soon. Wisely, he opted to stay near her, and make sure the chains he'd chosen for her were as secure as he thought. She shifted a bit, her shoulder slipping from where it was perched at the edge of the pillow, dropping her body a bit and jolting her enough to rouse her a bit quicker. She opened her eyes and looked around, though she had to blink a few more times to clear the fog from her eyes, and from her mind. Eventually, her gaze leveled on Hans, and the frown that reached her features told him she was aware enough of where she was to recognize him.

"How are you feeling, my lady?" he said, with a wicked grin. He just could not help how much he was enjoying these games. Who could blame him?

"Drugged and uncomfortably tied up," the Queen replied with a sharp tone that he was not sure he had ever heard from her before. They had not had much time to talk, after all, even when he had come to kill her before. His interactions had primarily been with Anna, her sister. He watched her, arching his eyebrow thoughtfully as he wondered just how much of a fight she was going to put up.

"You mean you don't like your room? After all the effort I went through to make sure it was fit for a Queen?"

"My new jewelry seems a bit much. I prefer to be without such adornments, if it's all the same to you." Else spoke slowly, but felt much better than before. Her mind was clearing much faster this time, and she could move and speak without feeling like she was about to vomit or pass out.

"I think you look lovely in them."

"What do you want with me, Hans?" Having enough of their bantering, Elsa's tone was clipped and her glare was ice cold. He saw something dangerous in the look, and it was rather thrilling. He grinned at her, though there was no warmth, no kindness in the look.

"Isn't it obvious, Elsa? I want you to suffer, as I have. You ruined my life with your magic, and now I have the power to return the favor. Your magic won't save you this time, and there will not be any 'acts of true love' ruining the day. It's all going to be a lot more simple, and it's all going to be according to my plan. I'm not leaving anything to chance this time."

He stood, moving to the door and pausing, glancing back at her as she glared after him.

"I know the moment I close this door, you're going to try to use your magic to escape. I think it is only fair to warn you that it might not be the best idea for you at the moment. Don't do anything silly, hm?" He got a scowl in return for his feigned concern and he shook his head, leaving the room and slamming the door shut behind him. Elsa heard the heavy clank of a bolt being slid into place, and another echoing sound as a lock clicked tightly closed.


	4. Chapter 4

(Thank you for the support so far! It means a lot to me, and I hope folks are enjoying the story =] Please fave and review if you are! It lets me know if I should write some more ^^ )

Elsa looked around the room as soon as the door was closed, taking stock of everything she had at her disposal. it was not much, and she had nothing that might help her escape the chains, if Hans' warning was true, and her magic would not help her out of her current situation. She looked at her hands, curling her fingers a bit and wincing as pain shot through her hands. His magic seemed to linger behind, keeping the pain fresh and keeping her hand motions limited. She was not sure if she would be able to cast any of her usual spells without use of her hands, but that was probably the point.

Hans seemed to have put a lot of thought into all of this. Why he kept her alive she could not yet guess, but he was not going to let her use her magic. At least not without paying for it, but she wondered if that was what he wanted her to think. Maybe he was simply trying to trick her, he was a very devious sort, and was putting thoughts into her head to dissuade her before she even tried to make an escape effort. It was a dangerous thought to find herself in, and she was not sure which way to lean. Err on the side of caution, and assume her magic would not work, or try it anyway and accept the risk?

Closing her eyes, she calmed herself before lifting her fingers carefully, slowly, and calling on her magic as she always did. It was so natural, to her, she could hardly explain how to do it to someone else. It was something that she knew, that was a part of her, much like moving an arm, or simply knowing how to speak was for everyone else. The only thing easier was breathing.

At least, it usually was, except when she was so scared.

Pain rippled through her hands from the burns, but it was not until the magic began to coil in the air, the room cooling with the promise of ice, when the real pain hit her. It was like her hands were suddenly on fire, but burning so deeply in her muscles that there was no hope of putting the flame out. It felt like her blood was boiled with acid, and the pain seeped down from her hands into her arms, her shoulders, her back. All through her body she was wracked with the most terrible agony that she had ever experienced, and she let out a horrible scream as it took her over.

Her body revolted against the sudden assault on its every nerve, and she coiled into a ball with no will of her own attached. Her muscles seized and her organs shuddered. She felt bile rising in her throat, while her heart thundered so loudly and wildly in her chest she thought it might explode, or even break free of her rib cage in a triumphant shattering of bone. She heard her voice still in the air, thinking it echoing, but realized distantly that she was still screaming.

Her voice broke from it.

Blackness hit her before the pain faded and she collapsed with it still all around her, fire filling her dreams in vivid intensity. She shuddered on the bed, but as her conscious waned, so did the spell Hans had put over her. A curse of his own, to keep her powers in check for a short time. He had not anticipated the reaction to be so terrible, and as he watched through the small window on the door to her room, he noted that he would have to tone down the magic in that spell if she survived to have it used on her a second time.

When she stopped moving, long after her screams had become choked sobs, Hans moved back into the room to examine her. Blood had seeped from her nose and ears, but it was not a large enough amount for him to be concerned about it. Her cuts from the ice before had also reopened, but the burns on her hands were completely gone. The magic was limited use, and it seemed that one counter for her abilities had drained the entire reserve of magic he had put into it.

He smoothed his hand through her hair, wondering about how hot her skin now felt. She was sweating and trembling, still suffering from the assault, though the primary effect of it had run its course.

"I did tell you not to try that, Elsa," he said softly, with a wicked grin. He watched her face twist in pain and hoped she was dreaming about him. The fear she would know of him would have no bounds, and would be the greatest she had felt in all her life. That was what he wanted, at least part of it. He wanted her to suffer, in every way imaginable.

And then he would make Anna witness the result, before her turn came.

He was not expecting the fist that came flying from the side, not until he saw a flash of it in his peripheral vision before the hand slammed into his jaw, snapped his head to the side with brutal force, and sent him sprawling to the floor before he could utter even a peep. He was unconscious before he hit the ground, the punch itself more than enough to send his senses flying and leave him laid out on the floor.

It was better than he deserved, but there was not time to follow up.

"Queen Elsa, I'm going to pick you up."

Elsa heard the voice somewhere above her, then, after a moment to see if she would respond, felt herself being lifted from the bed. Her shackles fell away and she felt her face resting against something soft and warm, as her body was cradled in a protective shield. She curled against it instinctively, feeling very small and helpless, shivering as she struggled just to keep her breathing even. It took a profound effort to get her eyes to open, and when they did she only saw grays and blurs around her. She lifted her gaze upwards and saw the face looking down at her, but it was almost enough to make her brain turn off in protest.

"Hans...?"

"You're safe, Queen Elsa. Just rest."

His voice was soft and familiar, and it certainly sounded like Hans. The one they new before, albeit briefly and under false pretenses. The one that had been gentle and sweet, and though a little forward in his affections for Anna, he had seemed like a genuinely good man. Someone to trust, to depend on when there was trouble. To love, even, though obviously with the proper amount of time to really get to know him. Elsa's mind wandered, and her eyes rolled as the sounds around her faded once again. She leaned against the warm body she was being held against and let her eyes close.

They would not open again for a few hours.

When she did regain consciousness, it was slow and with no small amount of confusion. She opened her eyes and did not recognize the room she was in. It was small, a little cluttered, and she could see into the kitchen from her place on the bed, which was large enough for one and a half people at best. It was quiet, at least at the moment it was, and she was not sure if she was alone or not. Sweat rolled down her forehead and she found herself too weak to left her hand and wipe it away. A cool cloth quickly relieved her of that problem, and she had to turn her head a bit further than she had been in order to see the man sitting beside her.

At her startled look, the man cut her off before she could speak.

"My name is Ian, Queen Elsa. I am one of the sons of the Southern Isles. You are acquainted with my dear brother, that I know, and I have come here to make sure he does not do anything stupid. It seems I was too late to stop him from hurting you... and for that I can never apologize enough. Please, believe me, I'm not here to do you any more harm." He saw the fear in her eyes and it stung him, though she had no reason to believe him. The only thing she really know about the Southern Isles and its royalty was the impression Hans had set.

Ian was tall, his hair more fair than his brothers, and his eyes set more firmly in his face, complimented by strong features, to give him an older and more mature appearance than his baby brother. He must have been one of the twelve brothers Elsa had heard about so long ago now, but that meant very little to her. She did not feel as though she could trust him any more than she could now trust his brother. How far could the apple fall from the tree? What if all the brothers simply had the same idea, and were working against one another to achieve the same end?

That sounded a little paranoid, even for the feverish, ailing Snow Queen.

"I'm hot," she heard herself say, shifting uncomfortably on the bed, pushing the light blanket she had on her aside. Ian moved to adjust it carefully, to help her feel a bit better, though he knew her body was shivering for a reason and she probably needed the blanket, even if she did not feel it. There was a rumor that even freezing temperatures would not harm Elsa, but he did not really feel like putting that to the test at the moment.

"Shh, just rest. You've been through a lot. Hans has cursed you, somehow, but it will pass." He had no proof of that, but he was trying to make Elsa feel better. If he could just get her to go to sleep again, and let her body heal, she might be able to let her fever break and cool her body down. He smoothed the cloth over her forehead again, eliciting from her a soft, appreciative moan.

"I need... I need to get home... I need to see Anna... to warn... warm..."

Ian nodded his head, watching as she struggled valiantly against sleep, but lost. He tended to her while she was unconscious again, checking her injuries, cleaning up the blood from before and changing her into more comfortable, but certainly not Queen appropriate, clothing. A peasant shirt and a skirt he had gotten from a farm's clothing line in his rush to bring her to safety. They were hiding in a farm house, though the occupants were not to be found, and he was glad for that. he did not want to start a panic by bringing the Queen of Arendelle, in this condition, to random citizens. They would not know how to deal with it, and for good reason.

No one wanted to see their ruler looking so vulnerable.

Elsa slept relatively quietly as he worked, though at one point her dreams gripped her and she, in turn, clung to him. It left bruises on his arms, and burns from the cold that had escaped her touch. At least that meant her magic was still working, though Ian wished there had been another way for him to have discovered that one.

Ian hated his brother for his betrayal, for his slimy attempts to get a crown he had no right to. He was born last in a long line of sons, and that was his role to play. To try to force someone else to change it for him, to steal and lie and even murder... it was not what his father had taught him. Their father was a kind man and a good ruler. When he heard of Hans' actions, he immediately sought appropriate justice, though it pained him to punish his own son. What would he say now, to hear that Hans was at it again, and doing even worse things to this poor girls? He looked at Elsa and felt his heart drooping in his chest. She looked so innocent and helpless, it was hard to think her powers had plunged an entire Kingdom into an eternal winter. Hell, it was difficult to even think she was Queen, as he considered her age and her gentle face.

Someone would have to be a monster to willingly harm her.

It shamed him to know that monster was his brother.

For a moment he watched her breathing, making sure that it was coming evenly, and without pain. The magic that Hans had used on her was fading. When he'd first arrived, she had been in terrible pain, barely able to draw breath without moaning in agony. She was still feverish, but even that had come down, and he was hoping that the spell, or curse, or whatever it had been, would fade sooner rather than later. He moved to wipe her forehead of sweat and cool her with a cloth one more time before he stood to go and get her some food. When she woke the next time, he hoped at least, she would have strength enough to eat something.

Then she could tell him what Hans was up to, and why he had kidnapped her. Ian could then fill her in on the details he knew about his brother, since he was banished, and what he had been able to find in his time searching the young man down. He was his Kingdom's Captain of the Guard, a title he took very seriously, and Hans was a criminal that had proven he was not meant for life outside of a barred cell.

Ian would be all too happy to put him back where he belonged, buried in a dungeon he would never escape from.

He went as quietly as he could, not wanting to wake the Queen again. He could not help but keep glancing back at her, watching her for a moment or two here and there, fretting, he supposed, unnecessarily. She was fine, sleeping quietly now, not even stirring with dreams, and her expression was soft and maybe even distantly happy, but at the very least it was not creased in pain or twisted in a nightmare. This was the first time he had seen her like this, in their short time together, and he was very relieved to see it.

He would tend to her dutifully, as if he were a servant and not a Prince, until she was well enough to dismiss him and not a moment before. He had a deeper sense of honor than his brother, and he would not leave until he was certain Hans would not be able to do her any more harm.

Whatever was necessary: he would do it.


	5. Chapter 5

It would take the Queen a few days to recover her strength, but they were not days that would be easily won. Ian saw the owners of the farm returning in their cart, and had to quickly gather the sleeping Queen into his arms and flee with her before they came into their home to find two royals invading their home. He did leave them a little note and some coin to compensate for the food and things he had used, though he gave them far more money than the things were worth. He felt guilty that he did not just stay and ask them for their help, but he felt it would be safer for Elsa and himself if no one knew they were about.

Rumors spread far too quickly, and soon the entire village would know where they were. That news would easily reach Hans, who was likely already hunting for them. Ian carried Elsa into the forest, hoping they might find a cave to stay in, while she recovered her strength.

Elsa still had her fever, her body feeling very warm, her skin pink, particularly over the bridge of her nose and her cheeks. Her forehead, too, had a red tint to it. There was sweat beading to her forehead, but the fluctuation in temperature was not the biggest worry in the world. In fact, at the moment he was focusing on not getting found, and not getting her killed by his magic infused, vengeance focused lout of a brother. It Hans found them, it would force Ian's hand, and they would have to fight him. Perhaps even kill him.

He would have to face that decision when and if it came.

"Ughh..." The Queen let out a soft sound of discomfort, curling against his chest. Her small hand gripped his shirt, and for a moment it seemed she was comfortable again and would go back to sleep. Her eyes flickered open, though, and she looked around in wonder, then up to see the man carrying her. She started, though she managed to not struggle so much to get herself dropped. "What's going on?"

"We have to hide in the forest for a little while. I hope you like camping. We're going to have to find a cave, or some place, to hide from my brother. I can't risk anyone in the nearby villages seeing us, and giving us away before we get back to your Kingdom. Which is three or four days journey, if we can get a horse or a cart."

"Three days?"

Elsa looked terribly confused as she tried to puzzle out how long she had been unconscious, and how far Hans had been able to take her. She was dumbfounded to hear that she was so far from home, and hated the idea that he had been alone with her for so long. It made her skin crawl, and her heart became a solid lump in her throat. She swallowed hard, to no relief, then looked at Ian again.

"How did you know where to find us?"

"It's not really the time for an interview. Let me get you safe first, then we'll discuss all the details. I've got questions for you, too."

"Questions for me...?"

She could hardly fathom what he wanted to know, but her head was starting to ache, and she closed her eyes as she leaned against him. She fell back to sleep as he carried her deeper into the forest, searching for a couple of hours before he found a suitable cave that was not already inhabited by a wild creature that might want to eat them. He put her down carefully on the floor, propping her upper half against the wall so she was something close to comfortable while he moved out to get a fire going. She woke while he was away, looking around the cave and sighing softly, sitting up. Running a hand through her hair, she sighed and waited for her mind to clear, feeling like she had been sleeping for a week straight.

The fog lifted slowly, and she took stock of herself. There was not much pain in her body, the injuries she had taken from her ice on the road to healing, and the magic that had crippled her before finally fading enough for her to feel normal. She was not used to being so hot, and the fever was new to her: she had never been ill before, not even with a cold. her magic had somehow kept her safe from things like colds and other, more serious illnesses other people could contract while out in the snow and frigid temperatures. She had certainly never had a fever before, though she knew of them from seeing her sister get them.

Closing her eyes, she lifted her hand to her forehead, using just a small touch of magic to cool the skin there, and soothe her body much more effectively than the cool cloth Ian had been using could do. Not that she held it against him, thinking the gesture had been very kind, and much needed when she was too weak to do anything for herself. In fact, she knew she owed him a lot of thanks for the care he had shown her, and for coming to her rescue in the first place. Without him, she was not sure what she would be suffering at the moment, if she were still with Hans.

"You're awake," Ian's voice cut the still quiet of the cave, and Elsa jumped as it echoed softly around the circular space. She put her hand down in her lap daintily, nodding slowly and offering him a small smile.

"I am, thank you. You took such good care of me... I think the worst of it has passed. I owe you a lot, and will do my best to repay that kindness." And she meant it. Elsa was not the sort that tended to forget things, and people being kind to her was still a strange and new situation for her. She was used to being alone, for the most part, and only Anna had ever really afforded her kindness before. In her goofy, exuberant way, of course.

"We'll have time for thank yous later, I think, when all this is done and you're back home. I said something like that before, I think, but it's still true. Are you hungry?" He smiled at her gently, sitting down near her. He did not have food ready, but he would soon, and wanted to know if she felt up to eating. She nodded her head slowly, thoughtfully, taking a moment to communicate the idea of a meal to her stomach and get word back.

"I think I could manage something. Please, I'm very interested to know, and I don't think I can wait anymore. Forgive my impatience but... how did you know where I was? What Hans was up to? How did you know he had me captive at all?" Her big, innocent yet knowing blue eyes had him before she even got to her questions, and he knew that no matter what she asked him, he would have to answer. He was glad, then, that she had not asked him to do a dance or something similarly mortifying when in the presence of a Queen.

"I have been following news of my brother for some time. Ever since he was banished, he has been wandering. My father charged me to keep an eye on him, as I had no family of my own, beyond my siblings and the King, and was not as attached to the courts as my brothers. Of course, I was welcome to return home, but I found little cause to, over all that time, as it was usually too far away, or simply not convenient to do so. I sent word back through letters, to keep them informed of how Hans was behaving. Which was very strange, indeed. But the more I watched hi,, the more I saw how twisted he had become, and how terrible his intentions were. He sough out a man that would curse him with magic that he felt would defeat yours: fire."

Elsa looked at her hands, remembering the pain of the burns that Hans had given her all too well. She nodded her head slowly, taking in the information Ian was sharing with her. She had no reason, yet, to not take him at his word, but she would remain wary and on her guard, just in case.

"By the time I managed to catch up with him, he had already kidnapped you. I could not stop him from doing that, and when I entered that little lair of his, I was expecting to fight with him, subdue him, and bring him back to my father to tell him that banishment was not a strong enough punishment for him. I found him with you, and could not simply leave you behind. My plans were altered, and now I am mostly just... ah... making things up as I go along, I suppose. But I will get you back to Arendelle, Queen Elsa. That I promise."

Elsa watched him for a moment, thoughtful. She had no idea where he had come from, or if his story was true, but she could not deny that she now owed him her life, and she would continue to be in his debt, the longer he took care of her. She smiled at him gently, a very small expression but not one he was about to miss. She had not managed a real smile since they met, and he could hardly blame her considering the situation, but seeing it now made his heart skip a beat. He was certainly not expecting it, and when he glanced up to catch her eye as she considered him he was momentarily captivated by how beautiful such a sweet little look was.

Once he got her back to Arendelle, he hoped she would smile more.

She glanced down as his gaze lingered, feeling her cheeks flush. She stared at the floor for a long moment as she gathered her thoughts, though her blue eyes shifted back up to meet his green ones after a long pause. They looked concerned with the thought that had struck her now, the short lived smile gone, but not forgotten by Ian.

"What if Hans is not hunting us? What if we are hiding and he's gone back to Arendelle before us? What if he's going to hurt Anna?" Her voice grew more and more tense, though it was quiet, the longer she spoke. Her fears were running away with her, and she voiced them before she could really filter them in her mind. Her sister was the most important thing in her life, even moreso than her Kingdom. Anna was the only family she had left, and she knew that Hans hated the younger Princess just as much as he did Elsa, and likely blamed her even more directly for his current disgraced state.

If he wanted revenge, he would not simply stop at Elsa. He was ambitious, he was dangerous, and he was mad with his new power and his thirst for vengeance. There would be nothing to stop him, if Elsa and Ian did not get to Arendelle as fast as they could. Elsa knew she was capable of travel, but how far behind were they because of her illness? A soft, warm touch on her arm made her jump, and she looked at Ian in surprise. He had scooted a bit closer, seeing her distant and scared look, and understood that she was imagining the worst.

"We don't know what he's doing right now. He could be in his hide away still, or he could be looking for us. It's all just as likely as him going to Arendelle ahead of us: we just need to get there as soon as we can. We'll leave in the morning, okay? If you're stronger."

"I just hope that we haven't let him get the advantage... because I've been incapacitated." She shook her head, feeling a weight of guilt settling on her shoulders, sagging them. She curled her arms around herself, the motion seeming very familiar for her, though Ian had only just met her. The way she held herself, the defeated look about her, the guilt he saw in her shadowy gaze: she spent a lot of time fretting, blaming herself for things, or feeling the guilt of things she did do, on accident or not. She was a kind person, he knew that without even needing to know her.

"Whatever happens, we'll stop him. It's not your fault. Try to rest, okay?"

Her heavy gaze took a moment to lift from the ground to meet his steady, warm look. She examined his face and that small smile returned and a short nod followed. She settled down a bit, getting comfortable, and he moved to rest nearby. There was no sleep for him yet, though. He would stay awake, guard her, and make sure that Hans did not find them, while they were worrying about finding him.

"Thank you."

Her voice drifted to him after what seemed like moments, though his hazy brain told him he had been dozing for an hour at least, and he had thought she was asleep for longer than that. He saw her form in the gloom, and she was facing him, watching him as he remained sitting up, the ever vigilant guard, though she could obviously see that he was struggling to remain conscious and not nod off. He chuckled, clearing his throat.

"You're welcome, your majesty."

"You don't have to call me that. Just... just Elsa is okay. Please. You've saved my life, and I owe you so much. I don't... feel comfortable, with you showing me so much respect without me earning it. My lord, I am as much at your service as you pledge to be at mine."

"Queen... ah... Elsa. Just call me Ian, then, and we'll be even there. The rest, I'm sure, will sort itself out in time. I've made you a promise, and I intend to keep it. Now go back to sleep, eh? We'll need to be as rested as we can be."

Elsa nodded and watched him for a moment more, then closed her eyes and sighed softly. She was already feeling better, and hoped that in the morning any lingering effect of the spell Hans had cast on her was gone at last. Regardless, they would need to move, if her home land truly was so far away. Anna needed her, and the last time her sister had been in trouble, Elsa had been too scared to face it. That would not, could not happen again. Anna could not be in danger because of Elsa, and that was what was going on here. Hans was furious, crazy, and needed to be stopped.

The Snow Queen would do anything, this time, to protect her family. There was no running away. For anyone.


	6. Chapter 6

After securing horses, though no cart was attainable in the first small area they passed though, the duo began their journey back to Arendelle. Elsa was feeling stronger, and she was determined to reach her sister, whether her fear of Hans reaching the Kingdom first were founded or not. Ian rode beside her with a look of determination on his face, his eyes on the road ahead as he guided them, though he cast looks to the side to check in on the Queen every now and then.

She pretended not to notice, and likewise pretended not to be looking at him.

Half a day was spent in relative silence and peace, and they rode their horses as hard as they could, hoping that they would be able to trade them for new beasts at the next farm, or stead. The road wound away from them and Ian did his best to find the path, the lands far more wild and unsettled than he had anticipated. They came upon a small village at the end of what passed for a road, slowing to a trot as they approached a worn, wooden fence that had been constructed across the road. There was a large gate at its center, with two armed men standing guard. They wore no official armor of any Kingdom, the plate metal on their chests looking like something a kid playing with pots and pans might be able to concoct.

Ian motioned for Elsa to wait, and rode forward to meet them. Elsa, leaning on her horse and stroking its neck gently, watching Ian carefully. She had a strange feeling about these people, but strange was not always bad. The Prince moved with caution and distrust, and she could see that his attitude was easily read by the two guards, who responded in kind. This place must have been in danger from something else, and outsiders were not exactly welcomed here, beyond the eyes and ears of any King or Queen.

How strange that such a place could exist, just a few days outside of her far more familiar realm. But she had never been away from her home, not so far, and this was all new to her. She wondered who owned this land, as she doubted a sovereign little city would somehow exist without any Kingdom owning claim to the land. It was not a part of Arendelle, that she knew.

Well, she hoped she knew that.

"Who are you?" one of the guards grunted. He was a stout man, round and short, but his muscles looked solid and there was not an ounce of unnecessary fat on him. He was built like a boulder, with thick limbs sticking out of it, though he was limber enough to earn the status of one of the best fighters in the village. The man beside him was the only one who could defeat him in a fair fight. He was far taller than his companion, and muscular. Thick limbs seemed to be a common trait, but his were more suited to his large, imposing build. He had no hair, where his shorter companion had a mop of shaggy, light brown hair on his head. They both had dark eyes, though the taller man's seemed to be more like a deep green than the brown of his compatriot.

"We are just passing through, and mean no harm to your... ah... village. I am escorting this lady to her home, a few days beyond. This road is the fastest path."

"That didn't answer his question," the taller man grumbled, his voice rolling over each syllable like a growl. The stout man nodded his head, folding his arms over his chest, though the sword at his side was clearly not out of reach.

"My name is Ian, if it means that much to you."

"And her?"

The stout man looked over at Elsa, and his eyebrows lifted. She looked regal, though battered and her clothes did not seem to suit the way she was seated on her horse, watching him with a patient, knowing eye. She smiled at him gently and guided her horse a few steps forward. She stopped and slid off of it, standing next to the horse, her hand lightly resting on its neck as it breathed a sigh of relief. It was very tired, and was glad to not be moving so fast anymore.

"My name is Elsa," she said as she approached, her hands clasped in front of her patiently. "I am Queen of Arendelle."

Ian stared at her, opening his mouth to protest, then saw that both guards were looking at her with a very similar expression. News of the Snow Queen had spread a long way, and had plenty of time to become a common story. Looking at her, she certainly fit the description, minus her clothes. She had the air of royalty, as well. It was not, however, as annoying as the haughty way Ian had approached them. Or maybe they just did not like Princes.

"Queen of Arendelle? That's a big claim to make, miss," the tall man said, with a slight bow. Ian moved to grab his own sword, but Elsa very lightly touched her hand to his arm and he stilled himself.

"It is, but I do not make it lightly. I am the Queen, and I have been through... a lot of trouble recently. We really need your help, to get me back to my Kingdom."

"Well," the stout man grunted, "why don't you do some of that magic, eh? They say you're magic an' all that. Ice and snow an' all." The taller man shot the other a glare that no one in the group missed, but the rounder guard opted not to call any attention to it. He knew what he was doing, and he was sure he was being rude, but this was their job! Cutting to the point saved a lot of pussy footing around, and if these two outsiders were lying, then they would be finding it out all the sooner. Elsa did not seem fussed, though Ian was fuming.

The Queen moved her hand, holding it out and calling her magic to her. She winced, her hand shaking, but she managed to call a small flurry of icy flakes above her palm, curling in the air and shimmering in the sunlight. She held it out to them, her small hand held between the guard duo. They both reached out to touch the strange little billowing cloud, and both drew their hands back at the cold.

"My stars, you are the Queen! My apologies, your majesty. Gotta protect the gate an' all that, you know."

"I understand," Elsa said, letting the spell fade and taking a slow breath. Imperceptibly to the guards, she hoped at least, she leaned a bit more against Ian, who supported her without a look or a word. Using her powers still seemed to drain her, and he hoped it was not because Hans had succeeded in putting a curse on her. He was not sure something like that would simply fade in time. "You have a duty to your home. Believe me, I had to learn that responsibility the hard way. It's honorable of you to be so loyal." She bowed her head and the two guards bowed deeply in response, almost perfectly in time. They had to spend a lot of time together, to move in time without effort.

"You are both welcome here," the taller man said, looking at Ian with a softer eye now, almost apologetic. Ian had removed his hand from the hilt of his sword already, and nodded his head with a smile.

"Thank you," Elsa said, "we will try not to impose... we really are just passing through."

"I was not anticipating finding this little village. I have not been in these lands before, but our maps and records do not show any settlements here..." Ian frowned thoughtfully.

"Not a surprise, mate," the stout man said, clearly more easy with his words than the other. Not that his companion seemed annoyed or put out by it. Just used to it, like this was the way of things. "We haven't been here long, and we aren't looking for anyone to come in and rule us. Most folks here are just looking to vanish, if you catch my meaning. Ah."

"It's alright," Elsa said gently, "I have no intention of disrupting your life here. Consider me as any other traveler. And of course, my companion as well." She looked at him at last and he stared at her, wondering what she was thinking. Of course, her calm demeanor had allowed them to gain access to the village, but what if these people were not to be trusted? What if they spread word of her being there, and drew Hans to them? Or something worse? They could not afford new trouble, on top of the mess they were already in. He had a sinking feeling about all this.

The two guards moved to open the gate for them, the joints creaking as if they were ancient, despite the fact that the men said the village had not been there now. The door had been built out of found parts, like most of the small hamlet itself, and nothing worked exactly like it should, but managed well enough. That was how these people got through their days: as best they could.

Elsa followed the two guards, whose names she had not yet received, into the settlement, which was, as she looked around, as fair a name for it as she could manage. It was not really a village, very small and strange in size, with homes built out of whatever material was available, and nothing looking too sturdy or lasting. Just above tents, but certainly not homes, Elsa wondered how these buildings managed to survive when it rained or snowed. Her heart sank a bit as she took in the very simple way of life that existed here, the way the people talked to one another, and watched the strangers with wide eyes. They were not used to seeing people passing through, and they were not used to sharing their lifestyle.

There was a well near the center of the settlement that seemed to be the hub of activity, a few people gathered around and in mid conversation when the group wandered up. There was no real paving on the road, not even cobble or stones, just hardened dirt that was beaten down into a near solid state where most of the traffic happened. There were small farms near some of the 'buildings', and the entire area was ringed with trees, and Elsa could see platforms and hiding spots built into some of them that worked as look outs. The road into town was likely the only way in, and she had a feeling their approach had been known about for some time before they reached the gate itself.

It was unnerving to think that there might have been bows, drawn and notched, watching them.

"What is this place?" Elsa asked, looking at the two guards. "Forgive me, I don't know your names...?"

"I am Roland, and tall, dark and handsome over here is Gunnar," the stout man said, a grin in his voice. He nodded his head to some of the wary villagers, who tried to go about their day as normal, but could not stop from staring at the beautiful, regal woman and her royal, handsome companion. This was not a place of wealth, and even in their dirty clothes, they had a different air about them. They drew attention, even if they did not want to. Ian was growing more aware of this, and realized they would have to be more cautious.

"It is my pleasure," Elsa said with a chuckle, as the two stopped in unison and bowed to her at the introduction. "Can you tell me more about this place?"

"Ah, there's not much to tell," Roland shrugged, motioning to one of the larger structures of the settlement. It was built of wood, which looked like it came from a house that had been burned or broken, and the different textures did not match. It was patched together, like the rest of the buildings, but it was built sturdy and was reinforced. This must have been their main hall, as close to a castle as they could get, where they conducted their business and maintained order. If there were leaders here, they would be found inside. "In here, m'lady. You both can rest here, and we'll tend your horses. The nicest beds in this god forsaken hole are found here, and you can take care of your needs. As for the story of our village... well, once you're settled, we can have a history lesson.

"Thank you, Roland. You are very kind," Elsa smiled gently, and Ian watched her with a small amount of jealousy, though he chased it away as soon as he noticed it. Why would he be jealous? Because she was smiling at this stranger, and not at him? He was a stranger, as well, and their interactions had been far more serious. Anyway, she was just being diplomatic.

"Think nothing of it!" Roland laughed and Gunnar nodded, patting his friend on the shoulder. There was a strong bond between the two of them, that much was all too clear, and the Snow Queen wondered how long they had known one another. How long the village had been standing, and how much longer it would remain. Why were they gathered there, together, and why did they want to be left alone? Roland had mentioned that they were not interested in being ruled,. Where had they all come from? She wondered if they were outcasts, or criminals. Exiles, like Hans, maybe. Or oddities, like her.

Her curiosity was piqued: she could not wait for that history lesson.

They led the way into the main hall, which seemed just as thatched and broken on the inside as it was on the outside, but at least it had some sort of a familiar structure. There was a long hall, with different rooms, complete with walls and what passed for doors, on each. They were taken to one of these rooms, and shown inside. It was at that point that Gunnar noticed their mistake.

"This is the only room we have spare here... hopefully you do not mind sharing with your companion..."

Elsa's eyes widened a bit, and her body stiffened. The idea of sharing a room with anyone, after so long of being alone, was horrifying enough. But with Ian, where these people would start to assume inappropriate, and incorrect, things about them? She was already mortified and embarrassed, and she was only thinking about it. She looked at Ian for help with this one.

He met her gaze, smiled, and shrugged.


	7. Chapter 7

Ian turned out to be a gentleman, and opted to sleep on the floor, while Elsa was allowed to sleep on the bed. Of course, he would never really think to ask for it, as in his mind she was still more royal than he was. She was a Queen, while he was simply a Prince. And not even a very important Prince, at that, considering his place in line and the horribly unlikely event of his ever seeing the throne. That same thought had been what motivated Hans to make such terrible choices, what turned him into a villain and forced him against an unassuming Kingdom, targeting two women he aimed to take full advantage of.

There was a fear in his heart that he, Ian, was more like his brother than he wanted to admit, but it was a paranoid sort of fear. Borne of nothing but empathetic guilt, wishing he could go back in time and stop it all from ever happening. But then, he supposed if he could do that, he would never have met Elsa. And, despite the situation, he was very glad to have met her.

He would not want to give that back. He was too interested in learning more about her. The quiet, kind but aloof Queen was a constant source of amazement to him, and every moment seemed to reveal more and more clues about who she really was, and what she was really keeping inside. The fact that she was so reserved, in itself, was more than enough to capture his attention. All he wanted to do was learn about the real Elsa. If he got a chance to see her, to really know her... even if it was just for a moment...

"Is it wise," her soft voice drifted into the air. The room was dark, the door and windows closed for the night, the two guests comfortably accommodate after a light meal. The tour was scheduled for the next day, and their two friends had been called away for something, though neither had been too keen on sharing what. Questioning them seemed out of place, considering that Elsa and Ian were simply guests here. Ian sat up a bit, propping himself up on his arms and looking toward the bed. He could see just over the side of it, but she was turned away from him, huddled on the other side of the bed. All he could really see was the back of her shoulder. "to be staying here so long?"

"We couldn't travel at night on these roads, and perhaps we can restock our supplies here. We will have fresh horses when we set out, and we will be able to make up a lot more ground for it. I think this is a necessary stop, even if we did not account for it."

Elsa was quiet for a long moment, and he thought she might have slipped off to sleep. Then he heard a soft sigh, and the blankets shifted.

"I'm not sure about you, Ian," she said softly, and now he saw her turned toward him, watching him with her icy, but deep and warm eyes. She had sliver of light falling over her soft skin, illuminating her against the darkness, ethereal and regal even when she was about to go to sleep. He watched her almost breathlessly, not even daring to blink until she spoke again. "But the longer we are together, the more I trust you. I am very glad to have met you, and that you saved me. You are not your brother... and I'm sorry for being suspicious of you."

"Queen Elsa..."

"You're a kind man, and I should treat you fairly. I don't want you to think that I'm as cold as my title and the rumors say... those stories of the Ice Queen that I'm not supposed to hear."

"I know you're nothing like they say. In fact, I cannot yet figure out what you are really like. But I'm very keen on finding out, and perhaps selfishly, for that reason, I am looking forward to the rest of our journey. Hopefully, it ends well for us." He knew that Elsa was desperately worried about her sister, and the terrible things Hans could do if they were too slow. He did not want to force her to dwell on those thoughts, but she seemed to rise above it tonight, simply nodding in the darkness and smiling gently. The light played off the curve of her cheek, the small dimple of her smile, and Ian felt as though he had fallen under some sort of spell.

But of course, Elsa's magic did not work that way. No, this was something else.

Elsa watched him, though he was shadowed from his position under the window, which had its shades mostly drawn save for a small gap. The light was falling across the bed, and allowed her to see a little better, but she was in the shadows, dark but his outline was still visible. She could tell he was looking at her, could feel the weight of his gaze on her every time they lapsed into silence.

"When we do reach my Kingdom, I wish to honor you in some way, to thank you. Maybe a title?" Elsa heard herself speaking but did not remember telling her brain to say such things. She was just speaking for the sake of it, maybe to break the silence, to have him glance away, or maybe she was simply trying to cover the nerves prickling under her skin, making her feel very self conscious.

"I don't need another title," he laughed, and she looked a little hurt, though the darkness hid it well enough. He did not seem to notice, but his tone was gentle as he continued, regardless. "I just want to help you, and we just have to take things one step at a time."

She was quiet for a moment, and he sat up a bit to try and see her better in the darkness.

"I just hope Hans hasn't gotten there before us. I hope Anna is okay."

He didn't know how to respond to that, and the silence stretched longer than he wanted it to. The hesitance was far too obvious now, and he shook his head. He opened his mouth to reply, managing to draw in a breath to cut the silence, but she continued.

"I know my sister. She's strong. She's fearless. She's very loving and out going, and I know that if Hans does try to do something to her, to the Kingdom, she will be able to defend herself. And she has Kristoff to help her. In many ways, Anna is far more capable than I am, and I know I don't need to worry about her. But I do, worry about her I mean. Because she's my sister. My younger sister that I have failed too many times now to want to do it again. I just want to get home, to be with her and make sure, this time, that she doesn't have to suffer."

"She'll be okay, Elsa. With you watching over her, and her own... gusto... to get her through, she'll be just fine. You already know that, you said that, right? You won't help her by worrying about her: we have to trust in her as much as we have to trust in each other. We can only do what we can, and we're trying as hard as we can."

"One step at a time," the Snow Queen breathed gently. "You're right. Alright. Tomorrow we'll set out for Arendelle again. Have a good night, Ian. And thank you, again. You'll get tired of hearing that, I'm sure."

"I like giving you reasons to thank me, so I don't mind. Good night, Queen Elsa."

He watched her as she settled down, and moved to do the same. She pulled the blankets over her, but she was not cold. She was never cold, save her brush with it through Hans' curse. No, the blankets served to put her mind at ease, as if the fabric would keep her safe from any ill that might come in the night. A little barrier, as simple as it was. She was of course aware that blankets had no powers, and it was just a remnant of her childhood, clinging to the edges of her psyche. And she was alright with that, as it helped her go to sleep quickly and comfortably to have those few moments of feeling safe.

Ian fell to sleep a few moments after Elsa, listening to her breathing even and slow, before closing his eyes and taking a long, deep breath.

They were only asleep for a few hours before the makeshift building they were in began to shudder violently, and cries from outside rang out. Screams filled the air and Elsa bolted upright in bed, clinging to the blankets and looking around with wide eyes. For a moment she thought she was still in the grips of a nightmare she could not remember having, she sounds in her mind rather than the reality around her, but a fresh batch of screams pierced through the early morning like a crash of thunder, and she knew she was not sleeping.

"Ian!"

She was already out of bed by the time he got to his feet. She was wearing a light slip, and she barely paid him any attention as she pulled on some tough looking pants and a thick shirt that had been supplied to her by one of the ladies of the village. It did not look particularly feminine, save only that the neckline of the shirt dipped in a different way to a male's version, and the pants were cut for a better, more refined fit than the loose, baggy work pants the men here tended to wear.

Ian tugged on his coat and shoes, but had not undressed any farther than that for his sleep. Respectful even in that regard, he had not wanted to risk insulting her by impropriety.

The door to their room flew open, slamming against the wall behind it and then simply giving up on its life as a door and collapsing to the floor. Gunnar was there, looking very serious and strained, sweat running down his dirty face, his clothes rumpled and one side charred black from fire. He was covered in ash, and smelled of still burning embers. 

"We are under attack. Demons. Monsters of some kind. They're assaulting the village! They're searching for you, my lady, and your companion. At least, that is what Roland believed."

"Where is Roland? Are you hurt?" Elsa moved to him, but he held up his hand to stop her, too proud to be doted on in the middle of battle, and bound by duty to help her before he could worry about himself. He was made to be a knight, and if he had been born into her Kingdom, Elsa knew he would have been the Captain of her guard. He held himself together despite the panic around him, the confusion in his own eyes and the turmoil she knew he had to be feeling.

"What monsters are you talking about?" Ian added, moving toward him, but altering his path to stand protectively near Elsa, instead.

"Roland is helping to evacuate the village, and sent me to help you out, as well, my lady. You and your companion must flee through the forest, though the paths are treacherous and built for animals, not humans. There is a way through, and I do not believe these beasts will be able to follow you."

"What about your people?" Elsa asked, paling. She was getting innocent people, people who had fled from society to live together in what they thought was a shelter, killed for her sake. She knew this had to be Hans' work, though she could not fathom just what he had truly done. Her heart was pounding in her throat, and she only noticed how tense and scared she was when a reassuring hand rested lightly on her arm. She looked at Ian, who was still staring at Gunnar with more intensity than she had seen on his face yet. He did not like the idea of leaving these people to be hurt or killed, either, but the way he was gripping Elsa's arm told her without words that he wanted her to think of herself first, and would fight on her behalf for a chance to escape.

"We will defend our home as best as we are able. If we must rebuild, we will. That's what we do. Follow me, both of you. We can't wait here."

Gunnar moved then, sword drawn as he hurried away. The duo followed after him, running. The building around them had been shredded by fire, gutted with most of the walls missing save for lingering wisps of ash on the floor where they stood. Elsa's heart cried out for the determined, sturdy little structure, as she had marveled at the ingenuity and work that had gone into building it. These people were not given anything, they had to build from what they had, and adapt without aid or support. And they did so, learning to live, to thrive, on nothing. Now, everything they had worked so hard for, the life they had literally built from the ground up, was being burned away.

Elsa stopped when she saw one of the creatures Gunnar had warned of. It towered over the men standing before it with their swords swinging, at least twice their height. It had hefty arms and legs, with broad shoulders and a monstrous head settled atop them. Its eyes burned with nothing but fire, and when it opened its mouth it revealed rows of gnarled, vicious teeth made out of some sort of stone that resisted the flames around it. It spewed magma and flame from its throat, with terrible, screeching noises that sounded like painful screams and gleeful laughter twisted together.

The Snow Queen could not stomach the look of it, knowing where it came from. Hans was using his magic, as she had in her fear, to create monsters. They even looked similar to the guardian she had created to protect her ice castle, when she'd isolated herself. Except they were far more horrible, and the flames that engulfed them were meant to hurt and kill, where her guardian, sarcastically named Marshmallow by Olaf, was meant only to keep intruders out of her castle. And even that had not gone as she'd hope, its power far greater than she knew.

To willingly create beasts to hurt, to destroy, and send them after her? Elsa could not let that stand. She could not run away while others fought the battle for her, a battle they could not hope to win. They were fighting against magic, and they needed magic to help them.

"Elsa!" Ian saw the look on her face, but his call was too late. She was off and running, away from them. Toward the flame creatures.


	8. Chapter 8

Ian had never seen anything quite like this before. It was like hell itself had risen up from the depths of the earth and spewed out these demons, forces that could not be stopped by steel. Swords and arrows hardly slowed them, and the only person that had any chance against them was the one person he did not want to let fight them. It was also the person that was running away from him and straight into danger.

When he had sworn to protect her, he had not anticipated she would be taking such an active role in making that difficult to do.

"Queen Elsa, stop!"

Sword drawn, Ian ran after Elsa, Gunnar not too far behind. Both men were not sure what she was planning on doing, but neither wanted to see her do it. These monsters were here for her, and once they saw her they would all bend their focus against her. There were three of them, as far as Ian had been able to count so far, and he had no idea how many more Hans could make and send after them. The very idea that he was powerful enough to create real, moving, seemingly living creatures, was terrifying.

The depths he would sink to were becoming clearer, and with each show of power, the chances of defeating him were slipping away.

Elsa reached one of the monsters as it was towering over two fallen men of the village. They were armed with swords, but the metal had buckled and melted. One of the men had the other shielded valiantly behind him, not willing to let his friend die in battle, while knowing by protecting him it would simply get them both killed. True friends, deep loyalty, meant not abandoning one another to fate. It was a strong bond, and Elsa recognized it as how she felt for her sister, and she knew that was returned ten fold. Anna had, after all, nearly died to protect Elsa, and that memory never faded. It fueled Elsa now, and she was unwilling to let anyone lose their loved ones tonight.

"I'm right here!" She yelled, and the demon turned to look at her, snarling viciously, oozing lava dripping down from the corner of its jagged mouth. Elsa ignored the fear that rose up in her, slamming her foot down on the ground and throwing her arms forward in a wide circle, calling her magic to her and forcing it into the ground, ice erupting from the earth and lancing toward the creature with enough force to slam into it and send it sprawling backwards, impaled on a long spire of solid ice. The two men stared at where the beast had been, then both looked at Elsa slowly, eyes wide. They had no idea the Queen of Arendelle was in their village, and had never seen such magic before.

She did not really have time for their shock and awe at the moment, and yelled at them sternly. "Get out of here! Before it comes back!"

They did not need more direction than that, scrambling to their feet and hurrying away, thanking her as they ran by. She breathed a heavy sigh of relief as she watched them go, then turned her attention back to the battle. She could not let herself got too distracted with those demons about. She had managed to injure, possibly kill, one, but she had no idea what they could really take. She did not see the second demon, however, until she was turning and the back of its arm and fist was merely inches away from her. There was no time to duck or move, and though ice burst from the ground upwards in an effort to create a barrier to protect her, the demon's attack was too strong and too swift. It smashed through the ice like glass and collided with Elsa nearly full force, sending the Queen flying backwards. She slammed into the ground with a gasp as air was forced out of her lungs by the impact. It left her gagging for a moment, unable to catch her breath, panic hitting her harder than even the attack had. Pain followed quickly after, washing over her and seeming to have no source. Everything hurt, in a blind moment of horror.

She felt arms around her, pulling her up off the ground and to her feet. She was running as her senses returned to her, still gasping for air. She looked at Ian with wide eyes, her mind struggling to catch up. Fire erupted behind them, where she had landed on the ground, curling in a ball and then bursting outwards like an explosion. The force of that second blast threw them both forward, and they hit the ground together this time. Ian had his arms around her, protecting her for the impact this time.

"Ian!" She saw the fire coming toward them and pushed away from him, slamming her palm into his chest with more force than she intended, but she was in too much of a hurry to notice. She brought her hands up in front of her, palms facing outwards, and a wall of ice shimmered into existence, smooth and thick. She reinforced it as much as she could, not stopping even as the fire crashed into it, melting it away in sheets, replacing what was lost with her magic in an effort to keep the flames at bay. Ian could only watch from the ground behind her, as she was still kneeling on him and had him pinned.

The fire curled and vanished with a burst of steam, and Elsa let her ice melt and vanish. That would not be the last assault, of course, and she quickly turned to Ian. She noticed how red he looked and let out a cry of surprise, moving her knees off of his chest to let him breathe, which he did raggedly. She did not have the time to apologize, though, before he was scrambling to his feet and hauling her up off of hers. She found herself slung over his shoulder as he ran, watching as fire engulfed the area they had just been. One of the few remaining structures was lost to that attack. The village would be wholly leveled at this rate.

"Damn it, there's two of them!" Ian yelled, and Elsa shifted, looking over her shoulder, in the direction they were actually running, to see one of the creatures in their path. The other was behind them, closing in. The third was either dead, or too stuck to the ice spear she had impaled it on. She hoped, either way, that it would stay out of the fight for now.

"Put me down, Ian, I can fight them!"

"Elsa, it's too much!"

"I'm the only option we have!"

Cursing under his breath in a manner entirely unbefitting a prince, Ian stopped and put Elsa down, though he stayed close to her and kept his sword in front of them, facing one of the demons, the other closing in behind them. Elsa tried to think as quickly as she could, buying them some time by holding her hands out to the side, guiding her magic in a circle and pulling a wall of ice up around the both of them. Fire slammed into them from one side, and the other demon followed suit quickly after. They were completely swallowed by the flames, the two blasts crashing into the ice globe she had created and swirling around it, exploding upwards as the two powerful forces of flame met one another.

"I don't know how long I can hold this!" Elsa yelped, pushing her magic into the dome, keeping the ice strong and solid despite the heat of the flames around them. The heat was so intense it was making Elsa dizzy, a sharp contrast to the usual cold her body had come so accustomed to. She was straining herself, using more magic than she had before, and panicking while doing so. She shuddered and fell to one knee, struggling to get herself back to her feet and hold the powerful fire magic at bay. The beasts seemed to be able to spew endless amounts of fire and magma from their gullets, without any visible sign of wear or fatigue. It cost them nothing, as they were only creations of magic, built for this purpose.

"Elsa!" Ian moved to her side, supporting her with his body as she buckled. He saw the way the ice was melting, bowing, under the pressure of the fire, and knew that the two creatures would win out over the Snow Queen at this rate. The air was tense and there was a strange feeling in it, mingled in with all the fear and anger. Was she holding her powers back?

Elsa knew what her powers could do. She had frozen an entire Kingdom, largely on accident, and had nearly killed her sister with her powers. Fear made her stronger, but it was an uncontrolled, almost terribly kind of power that she could not willingly let herself use. These days, she kept her powers controlled, kept her emotions out of it. She had been warned, years ago, that fear made her powers dangerous, and she had learned the hard way how true that could be. She could not risk the lives of those still here, of Ian and Gunnar and Roland, by letting her powers out to their full potential.

"Ian, I can't do this!"

"You have to! I know you have more in you than this! Let it go!"

Elsa heard those words as they bounced around in her head, his voice and her own repeating them. She understood in that moment that her fear and doubt would only cause more trouble than it would solve the issues at hand: she needed to face to trouble she was in head on, and defeat it instead of holding herself back. She could control her powers, she had to. If she wanted to save these people, give them any small chance at rebuilding, she needed to risk far more than she wanted to. She had to trust in herself: she had to push her limits. She had to, ultimately, listen to Ian, and herself.

"Stay behind me, Ian," she said, though for a moment it felt like someone else was speaking. She was hearing her voice, she felt her body moving, but it was like she was detached from it all. She felt no panic, no anxiety. Finally, her head was clear, and her goal was standing vividly before her. She focused her magic before her, snow and ice coiling between the palms of her hands, the circle growing wider as the magic grew more dense. It crackled and hissed like a raging storm, though it was confined to a tumultuous, roiling sphere hovering in front of her. The barrier around them began to splinter, long cracks appearing in the ice as it shimmered, a puddle not able to form as the melting ice evaporated before it even finished rolling to the floor.

Elsa turned to face one of the monsters and hurled all of the magic she could summon into the ball, throwing it forward and through the ice shield. It was able to pass through it effortlessly, but its collision with the monster was much more forceful. It smashed through the molten rock that comprised the beast's body, exploding into a storm of ice that spread like a disease over its body. It was frozen solid despite the heat of its form, and it fell to the ground heavily and shattering like the most fragile of glass on contact.

"Elsa!" Ian grabbed on to her and they were moving. She saw her barrier melt away under a final assault of flames from the remaining monster. It was the last beast left, and Elsa moved to free herself from Ian's hold, gripping his arm reassuringly as he struggled to keep her moving. She fixed him an icy, but certain and impassioned, glare. Without words, he knew that she would not be moved, not until the last demon fell, and he turned with her, pulling his sword. "I will stand with you."

She nodded her head, and it was perhaps the most regal thing Ian had ever seen. She moved with confidence and grace the likes of which he had never seen before. All at once, he saw her power, her true power, and it made him shudder. He fell to one knee, bowing his head as she passed, looking up at her in her wake, heart in his throat. The raw, ageless potency of her magic had overwhelmed him, and he had never experienced such true power before. It cowed him, made him feel humble and small, and he suddenly wondered why she was contented to live kindly with others. Why she had isolated herself for so long, and why she harbored fears of hurting others. If she had the mind, like Hans had, she would be a brutal, beautiful, deadly force of nature.

But she chose to use her powers for the good of those that needed her. She chose to make her powers friendly, even fun, and she chose to live in peace. Really, they were simply lucky that she was uncorrupted, and the allure of her power did not twist her perspective of the world, and those living in it.

The demon loomed over the Snow Queen, snarling down at her as she stood her ground. Everything around them was burning, the sky dark with smoke and rising ash. The ground was gray with what had fallen back to earth, save for the flickering orange reflections of the fire. Elsa stood awash in the light of the flames, her radiant white hair shimmering, her icy eyes reflecting the essence of the fire itself, burning with her resolve. The demon let out a hideous, high pitched sound and then lunged at her, swinging its massive arm at her. She stood her ground and a thick pillar of ice burst from the ground, blocking the hit and singing with the impact. The beast tried again and the same thing happened, on the other side of Elsa, though this time it hit harder and the ice splintered. Elsa did not even flinch.

"You won't win this way, Hans," Elsa said, unsure if he could see through the eyes of the demons, or if he knew what his damned creations were doing. Elsa lifted her hand, stretching the flat of her palm toward the sky, arching her body as she curled lithely. Her muscles shook with exertion as the demon continued to swing at her, trying to break through the pillars of ice that blocked it, while Elsa focused on the sky just over its head. She let out her own cry, exhausting her last reserves of strength to form a solid, flat, thick plane of ice over the beasts' head. She pulled her arm down, closing her hand into a fist and curling her body, and the ice responded in kind. It slammed down onto the demon's head like a hammer, though the force behind it was nearly immeasurable. The demon managed to let one last belch of magma and fire burst forward from its gullet before the ice smashed it into the ground, and its flames were extinguished just as the others before it had been.

Elsa felt the magma wash over her, and the heat was so intense that she lost track of herself. Memories of that terrible pain, the curse Hans had laid on her, leaped forward in her mind and she screamed as darkness and heat consumed her.


	9. Chapter 9

Anna felt a shiver run down her spine as she approached the empty throne, staring at the chair her sister was meant to occupy, and her own, much more familiar and comfortable seat beside it. She could not hide at her sister's side this time, however: she was the ruling monarch at the moment. There was no one else, and while she would not declare herself queen, the Princess knew that the people of Arendelle needed a ruler. Someone to look to if they needed to. Queen Elsa's disappearance was no longer a private matter for the castle: all of the Kingdom was buzzing with rumors. She had vanished so suddenly, and had been gone so long, no one knew which story to believe as an explanation.

For Anna, there was no right answer, not yet. She did not know where her sister had gone, or why, and that was a terrifying thought. It was all too easy for the denizens of the Kingdom to believe the Queen had run off to find more of 'her kind', or had been kidnapped by witch hunters, or had been swallowed up by her own powers. Everyone had their own version of the tale that they shared and swore to, and arguing in the streets about it was common now. The only time the rumors quieted was in the presence of Anna or those of the castle.

How could they believe that Elsa would abandon them? Anna could not wrap her mind around a thought like that. There was no reason to think someone who had suffered so much in an effort to protect everyone, her family and her people, would up and abandon them. Okay. Maybe one time Elsa had wanted to run away to the mountains and hide herself, but that was when the Kingdom thought her a monster, and had not come to know her for who she really was. She thought she was a danger to everyone and that running away would be better for them, not understanding the important role she played in Arendelle. Now? Elsa knew who she was. She was the Queen, and her people loved her. They should have known better than to think the worst of her by now. All she did was help them, make their lives better, visit with them and let them visit with her, working one on one and en masse to make their lives better.

Anna did not believe she would simply run away, and leave all of them behind. Nor could she believe that her sister would shut her out again, abandon her without a single word. No warning at all that anything would make her want to leave. There was no evidence, no proof. The Princess had to rely on what her gut told her: something else was going on here. Something beyond their control. Something, maybe someone, had taken Elsa away from Arendelle, and they needed to find her.

Unfortunately, for all the nights she had her guards out in the lands around the Kingdom, searching every inch they could, they found nothing to relieve her worry. There was no trace of the Snow Queen. It was as if she had not only vanished, but had managed to erase any sign of it. Or, more likely in Anna's mind, someone else had.

Kristoff knew that the Anna was worried, and was doing his best to calm her. She was so anxious and upset, and he had never really seen her be so serious about anything before. The way she ordered the knights and guards, kept them organized and searching in constant shifts, was impressive in itself, though it only showed him how dedicated she was to finding her sister, and how deeply she believed that something bad had happened. He was not about to make any assumptions or rush into something head first. She was already way too good at that, and if he pushed her, she would let her worry run away with her.

He was surprised she hadn't run off into the mountains herself yet, but he supposed to pressure of needing to rule the Kingdom in place of her missing sister had something to do with that. It would keep her safely inside the castle, at least, where they would be able to figure something out.

"We need to go find her, Kristoff!"

Or not.

"Anna, I know you're worried, but you've had all your guards out there, searching all day, every day, for... how long has it been now? We don't know where she is and have no clues, how are we supposed to go out there and find her when none of them have been able to?"

"I don't know! I'm her sister, maybe she's left a trail for me to follow and none of them know how! Maybe she's been kidnapped, or she's hurt, or she's scared of something again! I need to be there for her, I wasn't before and I pushed her to run away. All she wanted to do all her life was protect me and now I'm not there for her when she needs me to be? I'm not going to let this happen again. Whatever is going on here, I'm finding my sister and I'm bringing her home! I don't care what we have to do to do it!"

"We? You shifted to we..." Kristoff said it on a sigh. There was no real reason to try and argue her choice in words: they both knew he would never let her run off and do anything alone. He loved her, and, though her constant need to get into trouble was sometimes aggravating, he would help her in whatever task she needed 'him to. He had a penchant for adventure as well, though he was loathe to admit it. Any trouble she dragged him into, he often found he wanted to be there.

She looked at him with her big, innocent, helpless eyes and he had no chance against her.

Moving to her, Kristoff wrapped his arms around her small, lithe frame and held her to him. He closed his eyes and kissed her on the cheek sweetly. Her body relaxed against his, eyes closed, and she lifted her hand to rest lightly on his chest, fingers curling over the fabric of his coat. He noticed, looking down at her as she cuddled against him, that she was trembling.

"Anna..."

"I'm scared. I don't know why... I just... I know something bad is happening, and we just... we need to find her."

Kristoff held her a bit tighter, closing his eyes and kissing the top of her head. He felt her tremble again, and any resistance he might have had melted away completely. If Elsa was the Snow Queen, Anna's power came from her warmth and love. He took a step back, putting his hands on her shoulders as she peered up at him with a frown that he did not like seeing on her pretty, usually happy face. A smile suited her much better, or even one of her patented pretend scowls or a goofy look of confusion.

Anything but a frown.

"I'll do whatever you want to, but we need to have a plan. This isn't something we can just leap into and expect clues to just fall into our laps. I still think that if the guards can't find-"

"Princess Anna!"

Both Kristoff and Anna jumped when the voice suddenly cut into the throne room, echoing off the high walls and across the mostly empty floor. It was the perfect place for audiences with the villagers or with visiting dignitaries, but in intimate situations or in small groups, it felt oppressively large and impersonal. Without Elsa, it seemed even more empty. Anna turned toward the doors, spotting the guard that had stuck his head into the room. At her small nod he ran in, almost tripping over himself as he did so, one hand gripping the opposite arm as he stumbled up to the duo. He skidded to a stop so suddenly he nearly knocked himself off his feet, though he turned the sudden pitch forward into an awkward and low bow.

"Princess! There a-are monsters! On the high roads, coming down from the North Mountain! Our search party met them, trolls or beasts of some sort! They attacked our party with fire and stone, and we had to retreat!"

Anna blinked, then shook her head as the information really sank in.

"It wasn't trolls," Kristoff said stiffly, and Anna placed her hand lightly on his arm. She knew what trolls meant to him: they were his family. Most only knew them as legends, and did not really know what they looked like or how they might behave. Some urban legends, used to scare little kids to keep them behaving, painted them as monsters. Anna had met trolls, though, and knew that because of them she was alive and well. Without their aid, she was not sure what would have happened to her, once upon a time. She knew for a certainty that no troll would attack anyone, much less with fire.

"No, I don't think so either. But a monster? What did it look like? Is everyone okay? How many were there? Are you sure they're coming this way?" Anna bit her lower lip, not wanting to overwhelm him with all her questions, but this was exactly what Kristoff was saying would not happen. A clue to her sister's disappearance might have just walked into the room.

The guard looked up at her, but remained down on his knee. He looked exhausted, blood and ash covering his face, and she saw his clothes were burned on his back and along his side. She could see he was injured, and that only made her feel even more guilty. Now was not the time to be interrogating him, when he looked so battered.

"There were three, maybe four? If there were more, they were behind the others. There needed to only be one: it was too powerful for us to hurt. We weren't prepared for that kind of an attack... we had no chance. We had to flee, we took our injured and escaped back to the Kingdom. They weren't fast, they didn't run after us, but I'm sure... I'm sure they're still out there. I know they are coming this way."

"Thank you. That's enough for now, we'll talk more about this later. I need you to go to the court physician now, with the others. You're hurt and I don't want you to push yourself too far. You've done a lot for us, and we're in your debt. Really, thank you. I mean. Please, go make sure you're okay, and the others too." She lightly touched his shoulder and he bowed his head again. He got up slowly, looking at her affectionately. All the guards had a great reverence for their rulers, the sisters of Arendelle held in high regard. He bowed one more time, just his head, then limped his way from the room to have his injuries tended to.

Anna looked at Kristoff, who was staring at her very seriously.

"I think you somehow made that happen," he nodded, and she couldn't help but smile at him. It was timid and shaky, but he would take it.

"Look, we know there's something bad happening know. Fire monsters? And my magic, ice using sister is missing? I mean, that seems pretty oddly coincidental, don't you think? So there's monsters coming here, and maybe they knew where she is... oh! There's monsters coming! We need to get everyone back, and defend the Kingdom! They're all out looking for Elsa, there's no one here!" All the color drained from her face as she realized her terrible mistake. She'd emptied her Kingdom of soldiers, dedicating them to a task she thought had been the utmost importance, but now it seemed there was something even more demanding stomping its way to their doorstep.

"We'll send out messengers on our fastest horses and get those soldiers back," Kristoff said with a nod. Anna was already leaning out the door by the time he finished his thought, though, handing that same order to the attendant that was always waiting. He hurried off and Anna looked back at Kristoff, who was canting his head to the side thoughtfully at her. She motioned for him to follow and left into the hall, managing to get the messengers organized and sent out within a few minutes.

If it was fast enough, she would have to wait and see. They could do nothing without the guards, and now even more people were away from Arendelle, leaving its defenses thinner than she should ever have allowed. She couldn't help but wonder if Elsa would have made the same decisions, if the roles were reversed. Or if she would have been able to handle things better.

Elsa always had the cooler head, the calmer demeanor. Or at least the personal control that allowed her to not let her emotions run away with her. Anna knew that she had a bad habit of letting her heart speak louder than her head, and her instincts always lead her decisions. Stopping to think was not her first impulse, and could often get her in trouble. They all knew that by now, but it was Anna that was struggling to reign it in. Control it so her immediate reactions didn't make things worse. Especially in a situation like this one, that was already pretty bad.

Anna needed Elsa more than ever. Since the Queen was not there, all the Princess could do was keep asking herself how Elsa would act, and do her best to do the her sister proud. If Elsa was in trouble, after all, Anna was the only one who could really help her. And now, the only one who could defend their Kingdom.

She could only hope she had not already ruined things for them.

"Kristoff, we need to make sure the villagers are alerted, maybe even evacuated or prepared to evacuate. If there are monsters coming for the Kingdom, I don't want anyone getting hurt. We can always rebuild any damage, but if we lose people... we just can't do that. Where is Olaf? I need to send for him, and make sure he's okay. I need him to help, if he can. I just... I hope Elsa is okay... if we have to bring back everyone that's out there looking for her..."

"If this is connected with her disappearance, though, we might have another way to find her. Don't give up hope just yet, Anna. We all need you at your best, okay? Positive and annoying, taking dangerous risks for the benefit of others, and smiling your way through everything. Okay?"

Anna stopped and looked at him, though she stopped so abruptly that he ran into her. He instinctively caught her by wrapping his arms around her, and she rose up on her tip toes to kiss him sweetly, lingeringly, before pulling back and smiling at him with all the affection in the world in her eyes.

"I can't do this without you. I'm so glad you're here. Promise me you won't go anywhere. I can't lose you, too..."

"I'll be right here. And I'm sure Elsa isn't lost. We'll find her, Anna."


	10. Chapter 10

Elsa opened her eyes slowly, light seeping into her vision and making her head ache as she struggled to get a hold of her senses. It took her a few minutes and a couple of attempts, but eventually her eyes adjusted enough to allow her to open them slowly. She looked around blearily, the colors around her indistinct shapes rather than defined, recognizable objects. She took a slow, deep breath, letting out a soft moan with a sigh as she breathed out.

"Queen Elsa! You're awake. Are you alright?"

She felt a light grip on her hand and turned her head in that direction, though she was having difficulty getting her sight to clear enough to recognize the person sitting beside her. At least his voice was clear enough to her, and she smiled at him feebly, closing her fingers around his without much thought to it.

"Ian... what happened?"

"You defeated those monsters. We thought we'd lost you when that last one died... it covered you in magma, but your ice... you weren't even awake, but there was a thick shield around you. We had to dig you out of it, and it took us ages. I was sure you had not made it... you did not wake up the entire time we were digging... you looked very pale..."

Elsa looked up at him again, and this time she was able to make out the expression on his face. He looked sad and worried, his features drawn and his skin looking sallow. She was sure that he had not rested since this whole thing kicked off, and was also certain he had been making sure she was well tended. She smiled and moved her thumb over the back of his hand. He looked down at her hand, then at her face, and finally relaxed a little. He gently picked her hand up and enveloped it in both of his, holding it close to his face and closing his eyes as he leaned against it.

"I am very glad to see you awake now. Gunnar and Roland are here. We've built a little hovel to hide in for now, but there has not been any more of those creatures since the attack. We've been safe so far, but I'm worried. Why would they stop attacking?"

"Where are we?" Elsa managed, but her voice was cracked and broken, and Ian quickly scrambled to release her hand and get her a cup of water. He helped her sit up, careful of her in case she was feeling any pain, and held the cup for her as she drank. She lifted her hand to hold it herself, though she just touched her hand to his feebly. She sighed when she was done and he put the cup down, aiding her carefully to lay back down.

"We're in the forest just near where the village used to be, off the road. It was too dangerous to get too close, though we had to gather some of the wreckage. They've already started to build some of their homes up again, though they're discussing moving somewhere else. A new, hidden place for them to continue their lives away from the eyes of other Kingdoms."

"Off the road..." Elsa felt like her head was collapsing in, and her body was made of stone. She felt heavy and tired. She was not a fighter by nature, and was not used to pushing herself in such a way, using her magic to defend and hurt. She did not like being violent or aggressive, and though she knew those beasts were created from a curse, and made only to destroy, she still felt guilt for having to be the one to destroy them. Had they been alive? Did they feel pain? She had created Olaf, and Marshmallow, with her powers. They did not seem to know what pain was, but they were most certainly alive and they had their own personalities, their own hearts. But they were different. Marshmallow was created to defend her castle, and that was what it did until she returned to Arendelle from her icy palace in the north mountain. Olaf was a special case, a little snow man with a big heart and more love in him than most humans could possess. She could never imagine him hurting anyone, and likewise would never want to hurt him.

She had no choice but to stop those creatures, the ones Hans had created out of anger and spite. They were built from hatred and there was no doubt in her mind that they knew nothing but violence and how to make others suffer. That was, after all, the only thing Hans seemed to want.

"They were passing through," she said, running a hand through her hair and sighing softly again. She found she did not want to be laying down, and shifted to get back up, leaning up on her pillows carefully. They had built her a little bed of sorts, with a headboard and all. She looked at him seriously, a realization sparkling in her gaze. "They were heading away, toward Arendelle. The village was just in their way."

Ian stared at her for a moment, then blinked.

"So they were not just leveling the village to find you. They were clearing the path? We've been away from the road, if more passed through, I wouldn't be able to tell you. Perhaps they had people on watch, or Roland or Gunnar might know more. They were out hunting for food, we'll have to ask them when they're back."

"Ian, if those monsters are going to Arendelle, Anna and everyone there is in danger. They can't fight those things, you saw what they did to this place!"

"And what, you want to fight them all yourself? What if there are too many of them? What if Hans has something else waiting there? We have no idea what to expect, if he is going after Arendelle."

"He is. I'm sure if it. Not just that, he's going after Anna."

"Elsa..."

The Snow Queen grimaced and moved to stand up slowly, though Ian was immediately at her side, moving to help her to her feet. She leaned on him, hissing in pain, but she felt strong enough to support herself. Looking at him, leaning against him as his arms were around her, she felt color flood her face and heat rise up in her body in an entirely unfamiliar, but not unpleasant, way. Her head was tilted up toward him, as he was looking down at her, their eyes meeting. It was not the first time this had happened, not by a long shot, but she could not remember lingering so long. In fact, she could not remember much of anything, her mind running blank all of a sudden. After a long, awkward moment of counting the inches between them, Elsa took a step back and let her gaze fall to the floor.

"We have to find Gunnar and Roland, and see if they know anything, if anyone saw any more of those creatures. We need to get on the road again, and stop whatever it is Hans is doing. He failed part of his plan, when you saved me: I don't think he's going to risk failing again. He's going to throw everything he has into this, and we need to do the same. We can't hold anything back, Ian. We have to stop him."

"I'm with you, my Queen."

She glanced up at his words, and saw him on his knee, arm in front of his chest, head bowed forward and eyes closed. He drew his gaze up again to meet hers, staring at her dutifully. What she saw in that gaze made her heart flutter, but she smiled and bowed her head in return to his devotion.

"It is my honor to have you at my side, Prince Ian."

Elsa put her hand on his shoulder and guided him to stand, retreating with her head bowed quickly after. She moved to the edge of the hovel, not quite a door, peering outside. It was quiet and still, but she could see other small tents and structures being used as temporary homes. There was a small fire burning, and some meat hanging over it on a stick. Near the fire were two men she immediately recognized. Moving slowly, her body stiff and sore from the intense battle, she hobbled her way to the fire, lifting her hand in greeting and to stop the two from getting to their feet the second they saw her.

"Queen Elsa! You're awake!" Gunnar said in surprise. Roland had cried her name as well, but was on his feet before his taller counterpart. He was not going in to bow to her, though, as she had anticipated. She found her feet leaving the floor for a moment as the large man grabbed on to her, hugging her and lifting her clear off the ground in his relief. He had only heard stories of her epic battle after the fact, when they had to save her from the ice. The poor guy could not help his emotions, and he stepped back beet red, clearing his throat and coughing into his hand. "It... it's good to see you. Forgive me for, uhm... that display."

"Forgive you? There is nothing to forgive. I'm glad you're safe as well, Gunnar. And Roland. Thank you both, for everything you've done so far. You really are heroes for your people here. And for us. Without you, I'm sure we'd both be... well. We owe you more than I know how to repay. But I will try."

"You honor us," Roland said quietly, smiling a very small, hardly perceptible smile. It prompted a much larger one in Elsa, filled with warmth and relief, though that feeling was brief and all too fleeting. She knew there were still dangers ahead, and she had important things she needed to figure out, and the time for pleasantries and catching up was rapidly passing.

"I need your help again, my friends. We need to know if you're seen any more of those beasts coming down this road, or if they've walked anywhere near here. We think they only attacked so they could clear a part through... and we fear they may be heading to my Kingdom next."

Ian nodded his head as he stood beside her, close enough to support her if she needed to lean on him.

"I did not see anything, but after the battle it was so hectic, trying to gather everyone and take stock of the damage, and move out of the danger zone..." Gunnar shook his head slowly, offering a shrug that was not indifferent so much as it was apologetic in his stoic way.

"I did see them. At least three more, walking apart at short distances. They must have just passed by, I thought they were looking for us, for you. They did not stray from the path, however, and did not come into the forest to look for you. I would have given them a proper beating if they had tried it, of course."

Elsa chuckled at that, though she was glad he had not tried to make good on his threats. She doubted he would have lasted very long if there were numerous creatures against just one of him. However stalwart and dependable he was, his sense of honor and duty would not have been enough to save him from fire and magma. It would have been a heavy loss for them to bear, as well, and she was glad to have both of their impromptu partners still intact.

"So you did see more of them... that might mean our fears have some credence to them," Ian said, looking at Elsa thoughtfully. She nodded her head, heart sinking.

"They are going to Arendelle. My Kingdom is in danger. I hate to ask you for more, my friends, but this has to be my last request of you. If you have any horses to spare, we need to get to Arendelle as quickly as possible, to stop something terrible from happening."

"This won't be the last favor you ask of us," Gunnar grunted, and drew the eyes of everyone present. Elsa looked surprised by his gruff demeanor, and the certainty with which he spoke. He stood from his place near the fire, looking at her, and at Ian. "You two have had us at your service since you arrived, whether we wanted to or not. Neither of us are about to abandon our posts now. Roland, stop me if I'm being too bold, but I think we can spare four horses to this cause."

Roland grinned at his partner and nodded his head, putting his hands on his hips and holding his chest up and out proudly, like a posing bird.

"That we can! And two battered, but fine and dependable men, as well. If you'll have us, Queen Elsa, Prince Ian."

Elsa's eyes stung and she could not answer for a moment. She moved to Roland first, since he was still closest, and hugged him tightly. She was not good at initiating hugs, still nervous around others and wary of touching other people, even though she knew she had nothing to fear from it. It was just a long instilled idea that the back of her mind still had not dumped, silently telling her that there could be some sort of danger in her touch, like there used to be when she could not control her powers. Beyond all that, there was the simple fact that she had been alone most of her life, and the only people she'd ever really hugged were her family. These two, for all their help and their kindnesses, had earned themselves a spot in that small group. She kissed Roland on the cheek and then moved to Gunnar, hugging and kissing him in the same manner. When she stepped back, they were both looking dazed, but smiling.

"This could be very dangerous. Worse than what we saw here, even. It could be too much for us, in fact... but if you are prepared to follow us into the mouth of hell, then I am more than honored to have you with us. There are so many people that need you here... I don't want to take you away from them..."

"You're not taking us anywhere we don't want to go. These people can tend to themselves, believe you me. Two more will take our spots as soon as they need to, and our little village will find a new home, rebuild fresh. We always survive, adapt. That's just part of who we are. As for Gunnar and myself, we have always been more... knights in shining armor. You know, that sort of adventurous, roguish, but loveable sort of hero." Roland grinned at her and she couldn't help but laugh. It was a gentle but warm and flowing sound, and Ian found himself watching her with a thoughtful, enamored expression.

He forced himself to look away when her eyes turned to meet his, and he heard her lilting laughter again.


	11. Chapter 11

The small band of warriors was off early the next morning, to a surprising gathering. The villagers had gathered to see them off, supplying the horses with packs and supplies with enough to last them far longer than they need. When Elsa or the others tried to argue, to make the villagers keep their hard earned supplies, they were simply ignored. Everyone wanted to see them off safely and to a successful end. Some were sad to be parting with Gunnar and Roland, and Elsa could not blame them for that. They were two good men, and were likely valued members of their community. No one seemed to be blaming the Queen for taking them though, instead treating her as if she were one of their own, despite how relatively little time she had spent there.

"They owe you their lives, though they lost their homes," Ian explained, as a woman walked away from them after kissing Elsa's hands and bowing to her, leaving her feeling stunned and bashful. "You defeated those monsters, after all, and you risked your life to do so. They've all been visiting our little tent while you were resting, asking after you and wishing you well. These are very good people."

"I hope I can help them, in the future, after all this is settled and I might be able to return..." She watched the woman as she returned to her children, a young girl and two older boys, and they spoke to her in excited, hushed tones about her encounter with the Snow Queen. To the children, Elsa was a creature of pure magic, and she saw many of them staring at her with wide, excited eyes.

"I would like to return here some day as well, though they might move, and we could spend a lot of our time looking for them. I doubt they'll want to be found again, after all of this."

Elsa nodded at his words, then turned to her horse, gently caressing its muzzle as it leaned its massive head against her. It was a large beast, built for hard labor and long rides. But it was beautiful, silky cream colored fur mottled with blonder spots along its flank. Its mane and tail were blond and long, though tied into brains to keep them manageable and out of the way. Elsa knew it would hardly feel her on its back, but she worried about the rest of the weight it was carrying from all the packs and supplies they had prepared. It nuzzled against her hand and she smiled, patting it once more before she rounded its side and climbed up into the saddle gracefully.

Ian mounted his horse as well, a brown, older creature with thick, stout legs and a heavy set frame. It was not bred for racing speed, but it would certainly handle the rest of their journey without issue. And it had the instincts of any horse: if they needed to run, the horse was more than ready to do that. Gunnar and Roland were already on their horses, and trotting slowly toward the road, back toward Arendelle. With a few final goodbyes, Elsa and Ian hurried to join them, taking the lead and guiding the way.

Elsa could feel her nerves building, anxiety sitting heavily in the pit of her stomach. It weighed her down like a stone, and she was sure if she were thrown into water she would sink immediately. What would they find when they reached Arendelle? Would it still be there? Were they wrong? Or were they right? Was it already too late, and had Hans exacted the revenge he wanted?

It was going to be a long trip if she let herself dwell on her worry, and she would drive herself insane in the effort of it. She needed to keep her head clear, calm herself and focus on what she had to do. The things she knew, rather than worrying about the things she could not predict. They all had to be prepared for the worst, and hope for the best. She could not get Anna out of her mind, despite her best efforts. She was hoping, praying, that her sister would be there when they arrived. And she would be alright.

Ian glanced over at Elsa and saw how pensive her expression was, frowning. He was no mind reader, but he did not have to be, really, to know what she was worrying about. There was a lot to be afraid of, all told. He brought his horse closer to hers, reaching over to her and putting his hand lightly on her arm. She jumped and looked at him, though her look of surprise faded into a gentle smile as she nodded at him. She appreciated his concern, and did not mean to make him worry about her. The last thing any of them needed was more to worry about.

"How much farther do you think it is?" She asked, changing the silent subject. He let go of her arm and shook his head, looking up at the sky as he drew a map of the lands in his mind.

"We'll be there, at this pace, within two days. Assuming we pause for a few hours at night. We're going as quickly as we can, and there's nothing slowing us down. We just have to be careful of our horses, but I'm certain we'll reach Arendelle quickly."

"We better," Roland chimed from behind them, "my back side is not built for this sort of riding. I much prefer using my own two feet, if I had any choice in the matter."

"We could easily let you run behind your horse," Gunnar said quietly, "I'm sure it would appreciate the reprieve. From your whining, and your back side."

Elsa smiled as she glanced back at the two of them, spotting Roland as he took a swing for his partner, missed, and nearly unseated himself from his horse. Gunnar did not break his horse's stride, or even lean away from the swing, aware that he had never been in any danger. She did see him smile, though, and she felt her heart warming a bit more. With their companionship, the three of them together, she felt as though she finally knew what friendship was. With Ian beside her, supporting her with everything he could offer, she felt as though she were special. It was a feeling unlike any she had ever experienced before, something new. With him, she was not sure what she was feeling, but she was glad to feel it.

They rode tirelessly through the day and well into the night, darkness settling over the roads until it grew too deep for them to continue on. They were in a long plain, with nothing of note available to them in any direction, though they could not exactly see the horizons.

"We need to find some shelter," Gunnar said evenly, not sounding worried, though he never did.

"Aye, and make some food," Roland said with a nod.

"Before he eats his horse."

"I'd sooner eat yours, then leave you galloping. Hopefully you can run as fast as your mouth can."

"Well," Ian cut in, clearing his throat pointedly. They two boys quieted down, still respectful of the two royal friends they had somehow managed to make. "We'll have to keep going until we find shelter, there's nothing around here. Perhaps we can light torches and press on. I don't know if these roads are dangerous, or hunting grounds for bandits. I can't imagine where they might hide... but in the darkness, they might not need it.

"I can always make us a shelter," Elsa's soft tone joined the conversation, and the three boys turned their attention to her in a heartbeat, each one staring at her through the darkness as if she had just spoken in a brand new language. She could feel their gazes, though she could not clearly see their faces, and tried to clarify. "Out of ice?"

"Wouldn't it be cold?" Roland asked, frowning. He had not brought too many blankets.

"No, it would be quite warm. Would you like to see?"

There was a challenge in her tone that no one present could ignore. She wanted to show them all, and no one among them had it in them to deny her. In fact, now that she had put the idea out there, both Gunnar and Roland were keen on seeing more of her magic, after witnessing it in the battle before. She was a captivating oddity in their world, and it was not every day they had the chance to witness true magic. Ian had seen her magic quite a lot already, but would never consider himself used to it.

"If you cam," he said carefully, "that might be the best idea we have. We'll build a fire for some food and light. Gunnar, get some torches going so we can see."

The man did as he was told, retrieving the torches from the pack on his horse's side. He got off of his horse, struggling to light the first torch for a moment, though he managed it as the others were gathering wood and kindling from the clearing around them. The plains had little to offer, but they managed to scrounge up enough wood to feed the fire for the night. It almost looked as if some of the trees that used to stand here had been knocked down, to keep it vast and empty., and there was a lot of dead wood scattered about.

Once the torch was lit, creating more light to see by was easy. They lit the fire and Roland unpacked some of the food they had been given. Fresh meat, which he cooked over the fire, as well as vegetables and fruits to accompany the meal. While they were working on that, Elsa picked a nice spot nearby to build their igloo for the night. It was as good a name for it as any, a den made of ice, though it was unlike anything any one without magic would ever be able to create, short of carving into a massive block of ice to dig out a cave.

Gunnar elbowed Roland, who was already preparing a punch before he followed the other's gaze and saw Elsa standing with her palms out slightly at her sides. He could see glimmering snowflakes swirling around her hands. She took a step forward, just one, and brought her arms forward and around in a circle before they met before her. She then lifted them upwards with a jerking motion, as if tugging on invisible strings. Then she was moving, dancing almost, as graceful as they'd ever seen. It was easy to get enraptured by it, and all three men found themselves watching in awe as ice rose up from the ground, curling and interlacing, arching over itself in thin waves until it formed a smooth semi-circle with a comfortably large mouth, larger on the inside beyond that. The ice was solid and opaque, letting in enough light to make it comfortable and not completely pitch black. It was close to the fire, though it was not the type of ice that would easily melt.

She turned to look at the boys, smiling at them and bowing her head, half bashful, half proud of herself for putting those dumb looks on their faces. Watching the blush that started at Ian and ran through Gunnar to end with Roland was enough to make the Snow Queen laugh out loud.

"That was incredible, Queen Elsa," Roland said, and Gunnar nodded. Both men moved to examine the igloo, holding their torches close and looking over the beautiful markings in the ice. It was art, though they had very little reference and experienced for that stuff. Ian stood beside Elsa, smirking at her.

"Show off."

"I have to use them for something," she said, holding her hands up innocently. She truly did love her powers, and liked being able to use them in times of peace. Fighting was not her favorite thing to do, and she was not built for destruction. But creating? She not only enjoyed it, but it was useful. They now had a shelter, after all, and it would be warm and comfortable, with enough space for the four of them, though she was still coming to terms with the idea of sleeping in one space with the three of them.

She knew she could trust them by now, though, and was trying not to be embarrassed or awkward about it.

Returning to sit around the fire with the other three, they finished preparing their small meal and served the cooked meat around. Elsa was not expecting much, but the camp fire meal was still good, and it made her feel better to have a full stomach. She could relax a little, sipping on a cup of water while Roland and Gunnar shared a small amount of wine, though Ian had declined as well. Elsa could not shake her worry, but there was nothing they could do for now. The journey would have to continue in the morning, only a few hours away. Sighing softly, Elsa stifled a yawn as best she could, but failed spectacularly in hiding how tired she was.

"You should take your leave, my queen," Gunnar said gently.

"We'll do our best not to wake you when we retire. Looks like there's plenty of room in your little ice house for us all." Roland smiled and nodded his head leisurely, enjoying his much needed chance to relax. It felt like an eternity, though he was sure he had only known the Queen for a few days at most, and they'd never had to deal with monsters before all of this. Though, the trade off seemed more than fair. He was on an adventure with a fascinating, beautiful young woman who could use magic and was as demure and polite as could be. It was the kind of adventure he was thought he had far outgrown, but it seemed he was wrong there.

"Good night, Roland, Gunnar. Ian." She smiled at them, eyes lingering on Ian for a moment before she bowed her head and then got up and got her blanket from the packs on her horse. She made sure the horse was comfortable, patting it affectionately and wishing it goodnight. The igloo was warm, as she had predicted, the air well insolated despite the space she had created under the dome of ice. She set her blanket down on a place opposite the entryway, so the others would have room to enter and move without fearing about stepping on her. Soon enough she was curled up under her blanket, feeling calm and quiet. Safe.

To her surprise, sleep came easily to her. She drifted off about a half hour before Ian came in, laying down nearby to her. He was protective of her and almost wanted to just stay up and keep watch, though he knew they all would need their strength. He closed his eyes and fell to sleep shortly after, laying near to her, but not too near. Roland and Gunnar wandered in at their own paces, setting down their blankets and falling to sleep in turn. There was enough room for them all to sleep without rolling on top of each other.

In theory, any way.


	12. Chapter 12

The group rode for hours without saying a word beyond what was absolutely necessary to get going. Elsa stared at the back of her horse's head, while Ian focused far too hard on the road ahead of them. Gunnar and Roland were a little less tense, but not much so, speaking with the others but not looking at each other even at great lengths.

No one woke up quite where they had gone to sleep. It seemed warm bodies, in the middle of the night, were drawn to one another. Elsa woke in the morning to find herself curled against Ian, small compared to his muscular, tall frame. She seemed to fit perfectly against the curve of his body as he slept on his side. He had moved his arm over her in his sleep. Neither one said anything about it the next morning, but they had both slept very well, considering how badly they'd woken up.

The two rogue warriors had a similar experience, though neither of them were secretly looking back on the morning with fond bashfulness. Nor were they casting each other furtive, sidelong looks when the other was not watching. They were, in fact, being very manly about the whole thing, and simply pretending they had never gone to bed at all. There was no sleep cuddling if there was no sleep, after all.

After they'd all woken up and sorted themselves out, at varying levels of embarrassment, Elsa took down the igloo and left no trace of it behind them. They stamped out their campfire and destroyed it, had some cold breakfast and off they went. The rest of the ride was quiet, and after a few hours, the tense air faded and conversation blossomed slowly. A few questions to the royals, a couple of jokes and the exchange of stories, and they were back to their easy, comfortable relationships. Though, Roland and Gunnar still did not look at one another, even when they were talking to each other.

Most of the journey passed without event. They covered a lot of ground all at once, and only stopped to eat and take small rests, and to let the horses recover their strength or drink from what water they found along the way. As easy as the journey was, it still felt like it was an eternity before Elsa began to recognize the lands around them, and took over leading the party. She grew silent, serious. She was focused on what she would see ahead, terrified and excited at once. Soon, the familiar spires of the Kingdom were visible on the horizon, and she urged her horse faster, racing ahead of the others. Ian yelled out, and charged after her, the other two close on his heals.

She was stopped cold in her tracks over the ridge, staring, wide eyed.

"It's on fire..."

Ian could see that very easily, thick smoke plumes rising up from the castle and the buildings beneath it. There was noise on the air, faint screams and sounds of terror, cracking stone and shattering glass. The Kingdom was under attack, but as bad as it looked, it was still early in the assault. Hans could not have arrived much earlier than they had, and that was a small relief. Ian wanted to offer it to Elsa, anyway, but she was already racing off across the water. She was not on the bridge, but rather creating her own as she went, the horse leaping blindly into nothing and landing each time on solid ice, long beams rising up in their wake, curling and growing into beautiful struts and supports for the bridge itself, while long pillars burrowing into the water and the ground beneath to keep the construct steady.

Ian, Gunnar and Roland followed after her, pushing their horses as fast as they could go. None of the beasts were built for speed, and were tired from the long journey, yet they pushed themselves as hard as their riders needed. Urgency was not solely a human emotion, and the animals were aware of how dire the situation seemed, even if they did not put the same kind of thought to it. They understood things in their own way, and were reacting accordingly.

"Elsa, stop!"

Ian's voice was lost to the Queen. All she heard was the rushing wind as her horse ran, and the pounding of her heart in her ears. She needed to reach the castle, to see Anna, to make sure her sister, and then her people, were safe. Hans had to be stopped, and the Snow Queen was the only one with the power to do it. All those years of thinking her powers were dangerous, that she was protecting those around her by keeping them hidden, seemed like wasted time now. How much stronger would she be if she had been practiced during that time? Turned her fear into motivation to train? It might have meant being a different person, but if they had somehow ended up in a situation like this, at least she would be confident in her power to stop it. As it stood, she felt completely unprepared, and weak.

Her worry for her sister overrode her self doubt, though, and she pressed headlong into the danger she knew was ahead. Her bridge of ice met the wooden planks of a dock, and the horse she rode leaped over the fence that edged it. Hard hoof falls echoed over the peer, wood creaking unhappily at the rushing weight that passed over it. The sounds shifted as hooves met cobblestone, and Elsa's eyes scanned the familiar buildings around her. They were charred, broken, and battered. They were also empty.

The only people she saw on the streets were wearing armor and the emblems of the Kingdom: they were soldiers and guards, defending their home. Some looked to be newly recruited, volunteers maybe, but they were all armed and prepared as best as they were able, considering the time table. Anna's doing, no doubt. It gave Elsa hope, though she could not stop to help, could not go and find the battles they were undoubtedly running toward. She did not see any monsters or enemies, but that did not mean they were not out there.

They were just not on her path, and she was not about to deviate from it.

She pulled her horse to a stop at the castle gate, climbing down from it and patting it once, thanking it for its hard work and urging it to run to safety. The horse stubbornly stayed where it was dismounted, and turned its head in her direction as she ran away from it, stomping one foot and heaving a sigh heavy enough to rattle its massive ribcage. Elsa ran as fast as she could, the loose pants and shirt she was wearing making it much easier to do than her usual dresses, though running was still not something she did all too often.

She skidded to a stop at the door, slamming into it with more momentum than she thought she had mustered in that short distance. Slamming her palm on the door, she called out for someone to let her in, the door barred and sealed. It was far too sturdy, though she, of course, had her own ways of opening doors.

Controlling her fear for a moment, she managed to isolate her magic to the locks and braces that were keeping her out, freezing them over and then shattering them with bolt of ice. The door moaned as she pushed it open and slid into the castle, her dainty footsteps echoing as she hurried across the dark entryway and into one of the large halls.

"Anna! Anna!" She called her sister's name over and over, fear gripping her heart tighter with each second that passed without a reply. She checked every room, throwing open doors, calling out as loudly as she could. "Anna! Anna, where are you!?"

"Elsa!"

Anna appeared at the end of the hall, poking out of the throne room. Elsa was working her way toward that, but was glad to not have to check every room to do it. She ran across the hall, breathless by the time she reached Anna, but she hardly seemed to notice. She caught Anna in her arms just as her sister was doing the same thing, the two hugging as tightly as they were able, both bursting into tears the moment they collided.

"I'm so glad you're okay!" Elsa said, though Anna had been about to say something similar. She stepped back, holding Elsa at arm's length, looking her over in surprise and horror. She was wearing dirty, torn and burned clothes, and was obviously injured and tired. She was as unkempt as Anna had ever seen her, in fact, and it was startling. There was always an air of composure around her older sister, though, and that was still somehow there. Despite her messy hair, her dirty appearance, the fatigue evident in her shoulders and body, she was still regal and demure.

It was exactly what Anna needed, at a time like this, when everything was falling apart. She felt like she was constantly on the verge of a panic attack, worrying about the citizens of their Kingdom that were being evacuated, stressing about the damage those horrible monsters were doing, and the pain her soldiers were suffering because of them. What she really needed was someone to tell her it would all be okay. Sure, Kristoff was trying, but knowing Elsa was safe, having her back, was the only thing that could help her.

"I was so worried. You look terrible! I mean, not... not bad, that's not what I mean, but... but terrible! What have you been through?!"

"It's a very long story. I'm so sorry... I should have been here. This is all my fault. Hans is attacking the kingdom, and we have to-"

"Hans? No! It's monsters! They're demons, or something terrible like that. They're on fire, and they spit lava and flames, and it makes no sense!"

"Hans is controlling them, Anna. After he was banished from the Southern Isles, he went out and has been plotting his revenge ever since. He's using magic, some sort of curse he had put on himself, and he's hurting everyone in his path just to get to us. To Arendelle. He's the one that kidnapped me, and if not for Ian... oh! Ian! Gunnar, Roland!"

The Snow Queen turned suddenly, looking back over her shoulder, but none of her trusty companions were behind her. They had lost her in the mess outside, perhaps, or had been waylaid by something in their efforts to pursue her. Whatever the case, they were not in the hall waiting for her, and she felt her heart skip a beat as worry pulsed through her once again.

"I need to find them, they might be in trouble! I'll tell you everything I can, Anna, and you have to tell me what's going on here. Come on." She reached out and grabbed Anna by the hand, tugging her and rushing back the way she had come, toward the front gate. Kristoff, standing unnoticed behind Anna, hurried after them, a sword at his side and a shield on his back. He would protect Anna no matter what he had to do, or what kind of monster he had to fight.

Elsa led them back to the front door and pushed it open again, and was immediately met with a burst of flames that threw her backwards and sent all three of them sprawling to the floor, scrambling to get out of the way. She was lucky enough to have ducked in time, though some errant embers caught on her clothes and she quickly patted them out with a cold, icy touch.

"The monster!"

Anna yelped, clinging to Elsa protectively. They were both on their knees, gathering their senses, as Kristoff ran by them, sword in hand. Anna managed to let out another yelp before he reached the door, and then vanished outside. Elsa got to her feet and helped her sister up, though she was hardly needed. Anna was already leaping and racing back to the door like a rabbit.

"Anna, wait!" Elsa caught her by the arm and arrested her progress just short of the door, "It's too dangerous! Those things can kill you! Let me handle it, I've beaten them before. I'll help Kristoff!"

"I can help, too!"

"No, you can't! Just stay here, and let me protect you this time! I can do this. I know I can!"

Anna stared at her sister for a moment, though it felt like much longer in her mind, as seconds stretched out into eternity. She remembered using that urgent tone before, saying something very similar to that before, when Elsa had been the one in doubt. Now, her sister was confident, determined. Anna threw her arms around Elsa's neck and hugged her close, shuddering in fear and not knowing when she had ever felt so pathetic and helpless before. How had the tables turned so suddenly? There had never been a time in her life when she backed down from a challenge, always eager to try new things, to find adventure. At the moment, however, all she really wanted was things to go back to the way they were before, and for none of this to be real.

"Please be careful, Elsa. I can't lose you again."

"I need you to hide somewhere, to keep yourself away from these monster and from Hans. He might come looking for you, like he did me. I think that's what this is all about, really. He wants to get to you." Even as she was saying it, Elsa's eyes widened. The best way to hurt someone was through their loved ones. Through Anna's sister, at first, and when that did not work...

"Elsa, please help Kristoff!"

Elsa nodded and pulled away, scrambling to the door as fast as her heavy, burning legs would take her. She was pushing her body well passed what she was used to, but she just could not stop. Not until Arendelle was safe, and Hans was stopped once and for all. She opened the door only enough to slide outside, shutting it firmly behind her. The wood was still sturdy, though singed from the last assault. The monster had been pulled away from its attempts to break in, if that was what it had been doing, by Kristoff, wielding his sword with all the grace and dexterity of an overweight troll swinging a mallet. Still, he was determined and his love for Anna fueled him, giving his swings added strength where they lacked in grace. He almost looked like he stood a chance, slicing his heavy blade through one of the creature's molten legs and knocking it off balance.

Then it turned as it was falling, righting itself and swinging its hefty arm like a bat. It slammed into Kristoff with crushing force, a gut wrenching snap cutting through the sudden silence around them as time froze for a moment. Elsa was mid step toward him, holding her hand up and a scream of worry caught in her throat. Kristoff was staring at the monster, too slow to raise his sword or shift his stance, though he saw the hit coming. All at once he was halfway across the plaza beyond the entry gate, slamming through one of the abandoned stalls, and Elsa finished her step.

"Kristoff!"


	13. Chapter 13

Ian sheltered behind what remained of a wall, pressing his shoulder to it and bracing his legs as best he could. The chunk of building was strong enough to survive another few blasts of fire from the monster, but it was unlikely to protect him indefinitely. He poked his head up over the edge of it, to peer out and see where his attacker was. The beast was spewing lava over the side of another wall, where Ian had just been, melting it into a chunk of smooth rock and turning the debris to ash. Gunnar and Roland were no where to be seen, but they had run off to aid a group of soldiers fighting another one of this beasts. How many there were in total, Ian could not fathom. Ten or twenty at least, to be able to ransack an entire Kingdom. Three had been enough to level a settlement. More than enough, if he were honest.

"Hiding, brother? That seems cowardly, even for one of our blood."

Ian almost jumped out of his skin, turning abruptly, sword in hand, to see Hans standing not too far away. He was no longer wearing the colors of their Kingdom, dressed in fine, expensive looking clothes emblazoned by flames and of a deep, blood red. The accents of his military style outfit were gold and white, and he looked like a general of some unknown, powerful army. Not a hair on his head was out of place, not even a trace of ash on his clothes.

"Hans. I was wondering when you'd show your face. Haven't you caused enough trouble? You need to end this meaningless slaughter: there is nothing for you to gain here!"

"What do you think it is that I want, Ian? You always seem to know me so well, feeding our father all your stories about my ill deeds, ingratiating yourself to him and working your way up the ladder of his esteem, one rung at a time. Do you think he honestly notices your efforts, when he has his eldests to preen over? Well. He had."

Ian growled. He knew the way Hans' magic worked, and how he had been using it at the expense of his brothers. The more power he harnessed, the more they suffered, and inevitably, they would have died from the strain of it. How many of his brothers had he lost already? When would it be his, Ian's, turn? Would stopping Hans only be possible when he ran out of his brothers to sacrifice?

"You're a monster. Worse than these creatures you've created. You're the one we need to stop, and don't think for a second that Elsa will let you have your way. We're going to stop you: you've made the wrong enemies, Hans, and I'm sure out father will forgive me if I kill you here."

Hans laughed at that, shaking his head. He was not scared of Elsa or her little friends. A band of four misfits, fighting together in defense of Arendelle. It sounded like something out of a story book, but this one would not be getting the ending they expected. Hans was fully enveloped by the power he had been given, and understood that nothing could stand in his way. In all this time, he had never really grasped how powerful Elsa was, or what magic could really accomplish, until he had been given his own powers. Without consequence, as he was currently able to use them, he had no reason to hold back: he could do anything. He could take anything he wanted, and destroy anything that stood in his way. The only thing that separated him and Elsa was a will to hurt, a conscience. She lacked the latter, and through that, lacked the power to truly rule, to truly deserve the magic she had been given by sheer providence. Hers was a gift squandered, but Hans would not be making those same mistakes. He would not hide away, let others believe they had any sort of power or control over him.

This was his world now, and he intended to shape it the way he saw fit. Starting with Arendelle, which could only be ruins. Beautiful, burning, twisted ruins. There would be nothing left to rule, and those that survived would be forced into exile, as he had been. If he was gracious enough to let them live, of course, and he was still on the proverbial fence about that.

Ian, though, had no chance. There was no reason to keep his brother alive, and every reason to end his miserable life. Without any of his brothers, there would be no problem claiming the throne for himself. He had never tried it before, because he had never had the power to follow through on the thought. In reality, it had never occurred to him: as vicious as he was, he had never considered betraying his real family, or bringing any of them to harm. Not before he was banished, anyway, and came to understand true power, and what it meant to wield it.

"It will be a waste to kill you here, brother, when I can use your blood to increase my power, but once I am done here, I will have no need for this curse. And thus, no more need for my little sacrifices."

"You won't win," Ian's anger burned in the pit of his gut, rising through his body and into his throat. His heart sounded hollow as it beat against his rib cage, his face flushing with color. His family were being killed, one by one, all to fuel one man's blind rage. These people, the innocent people of Arendelle, were being forced from their homes, chased like animals, likely to be hunted down and slaughtered for his revenge. And the royal sisters suffered from all of it, and would continue to suffer for it. He would torment them until they were broken, and then kill them at his leisure. Or keep them as his trophies.

No. Ian could not let him do that, could not let him near Elsa or her sister. He had come this far in Elsa's defense, and he would not stop protecting her when she needed him the most. The idea of running never occurred to him, though deep down he knew that this may well be his last stand. If he was meant to die here, he would go out ruining Hans' plans.

"Come on then, big brother. Show me what you've got. Or are you waiting for your precious new Queen to come and save you with her magic? You and I both know you have no chance against me, right?"

Ian snarled and charged at him, hauling his sword backwards and gearing up for a might swing. Hans lifted his hand and with a slight motion with his fingers and lance of fire leaped from him, curling through the air like a snake and slamming into Ian's chest point blank. It drew a ragged cry of agony from the older man, and the force of it sent him careening backwards until he slammed into the wall he'd been hiding behind moments ago. The monster did not interfere with the fight, lumbering away to continue its path of destruction elsewhere. Hans wanted no interruptions.

Hans walked slowly toward his brother, holding his arms behind his back as he took his slow, measured strides. He came to a stop at Ian's feet, looking down over his brother's crumpled form with a satisfied smirk on his face. The front of Ian's shirt was burned and bloody, an ugly looking wound resulting from the attack. His skin was red and raw around the deep burn, and it hurt just to draw a breath, judging from the way he moaned each time.

"You can still join me, you know," Hans said with a taunting tone, "I know better than anyone just what kind of men we're meant to be. Chips off the old block, and all that. Our father would be very proud of me, if he had his head set on straight. He's changed in his old age, and you know that too. We're meant for power, you and I. Our brothers were happy to have it handed to them, but we've had to earn it, haven't we? If you join me, help be destroy this place, and take back our home, I'll make sure you have a proper place on a throne."

"A throne to what, Hans?" Ian said, through gritted teeth. His voice was strained as he hissed in a deep breath, pushing his body up from the ground and struggling to his feet. "Ruling over a desolate, empty land? Something you've cleared out with your ill gotten magic, murdering our family to do it? And what do you think will happen when we're all gone, and your magic runs dry? You'll be consumed by this curse, Hans: that's what a curse is. You'll get nothing, when your time comes. You'll be nothing but a mad King in a long line of them, forgotten by the world save only in infamy. You whine about how unfair it is that you were banished, you fight to come back, only to destroy everything and end up as alone as you were before. You're still no one, still nothing. You have no home, and no honor. You have no right to call yourself a prince, let alone a King, and no right to steal this land from the true Queen of Arendelle! You're nothing but a fake! Seeking power because you were not worthy of it on your own. You see the power Elsa has and you concoct a way to emulate it, but that is all you are. A shadow, always following someone ahead of you, always pining for what you don't have. You're a pathetic, spoiled little boy. You always have been."

Through this tirade, Hans watched with a detached, uninterested gaze. In his eyes, though, anger boiled, and he felt heat flooding through his body. His anger was burning so strongly, he could feel his blood burning through his veins, pulsing against his skin, his heart thundering in his ears as a storm of fury settled over him. It blinded him, and as soon as Ian finished speaking, Hans felt his mind go completely blank. He lost everything, all at once, and felt nothing but heat and power. His magic rose up inside him like the jaws of a beast, closing around his mind and forcing his consciousness out of it, almost completely, to a point of spectating in his own mind.

"You know NOTHING!" He roared suddenly, and launched himself at his brother, slamming his shoulder into the other and sending them both toppling over the half wall behind him. They slammed into the ground in a heap of limbs, swinging and flailing, Ian in defense and Hans lashing out as violently as he could. His hands were engulfed in flames, and he did not even notice how the fire was burning his hands, the skin on his knuckles slowly curling away. He slammed his fists down at his brother's face and stomach, his chest, his arms, anything the could strike out at. Ian felt each blow like getting smashed by a hammer, pain exploding with each contact and lingering long after, each hit rolling into the next until he felt like everything he was had been consumed by pain.

"I'm going to watch you die," Hans screamed without thinking about it, "I'm going to make you suffer! I'm going to let you watch her suffer! Your miserable Queen, who wastes her power! I'm going to take it from her, I'm going to watch her burn! Do you think I haven't been watching? The only reason you betray me is for her!"

"What are you talking about?!" Ian managed to force out, strangled and agonized. He hauled his feet against his chest and lashed out as hard as he could, slamming both booted feet into Hans' chest and throwing him off at last. Hans fell back against the half wall again, but that was one hit too many. He fell backwards, the wall crumbling with him, giving Ian a chance to scramble to his feet and half crawl, half drag himself a few feet away in an effort to recoup himself. His brain was working in over drive, eyes scanning the area, looking for anything he could use in an effort to help himself, or to escape. His sword had gone flying after that first hit of flame, and now he could not see where it had landed. Stumbling, Ian pulled himself down an alley and did his best to hide for a moment, catching his breath. He did not hear Hans just yet, but there was no way the other would just give up.

Hans was winning, and he was not the type to lose the advantage once he had it. Not willingly. He would follow Ian, and destroy him just as he promised. His promises... the sudden threats to Elsa made Ian's blood run cold, despite the heat in his body and the terrible pain of his burns. Was she in danger, or was Hans just screaming whatever he thought would unnerve his brother most? It had certainly worked, in that regard, as Ian could not tear his mind away from the idea of Elsa being in danger from this lunatic. He had gone off the deep end, Ian had watched him snap: there was no telling what he would do, what he was capable of now. Ian had to keep his attention.

Grimacing, steeling himself, he moved out of his hiding spot and stumbled back the way he had come. He saw drips of his blood on the floor from when he had run into the alley, and was likely leaving another trail coming out. He had not stopped to take account of his injuries just yet, but the unrelenting pain in his chest warned him that he may have broken a rib or two, or something worse. He just had to keep chugging on, not focus on that until he had a real chance to help himself. For now, fretting about it would only hasten his death, and he had much more important things to focus on as he stumbled along. He stopped, panting, looking around the burned area where they'd been battling. The wall was crumbled, but Hans was not on the other side of it. There was a dark burn mark, and only the ash of what used to be rubble. Hans was gone, and Ian's heart leapt into his throat. His moment of cowardice may have cost him something far more dear than his life.

"Hans! Where have you gone, you coward?! Come out here and fight me! Did you think you won? I'm still alive! Stop hiding behind your magic and your beasts! Fight me!"

His voice echoed across the empty street, nothing answering him but his own, distorted calls. Hans was gone, and Ian was horrified to think he knew where his brother had gone.


	14. Chapter 14

"I'm alright, Elsa, it's okay," Kristoff groaned, as Elsa kneeled beside him. Her hand was resting on his shoulder lightly, and he opened one eye to look up into her very concerned face. He gave her a lopsided grin, though his eyebrows betrayed him as they wrinkled together in pain. He was glad his head was still attached, after a blow like that, but he was pretty sure everything else in his body was broken. He carved ice for a living: he was no soldier, though he was painfully loyal and determined. He had meant well, defending Anna with all that he had, but it did not seem to be enough.

Groaning, he sat up in one swift movement, which made his brain rattle around and for a moment his vision plunged back into darkness and he nearly fell backwards again. He managed to maintain his balance, gravity working in his favor for once, and opened his eyes once more. Both of them, this time, and he looked at Elsa as her form slowly converged from two into one. That was a good sign, at least, and he smiled at her again, this time managing to do it without looking like he was about to implode.

"I'm alright. We gotta get out of here, and keep Anna safe from those things. Is the castle strong enough to keep them out?"

"I don't know, but it will be." Elsa moved to stand, offering him her hand. He took it and got slowly to his feet, leaning on the much smaller lady as his body protested the action loudly. He groaned and drooped his head, while Elsa looked up sharply. The monster was not done with them yet, barreling toward them. She had managed to stall it by freezing its feet to the floor, but it had little trouble shattering the hastily created ice in a few minutes. And now it looked even angrier than before, if such a thing were possible.

"Kristoff, run!"

She saw the fire churning inside the beast and it opened its mouth to spew magma at the in a mighty wave. Elsa grabbed Kristoff with both hands and shoved him as hard as she could, ice bursting forward in a flurry and launching him off his feet. He had only just gotten back to them, but found himself slamming face first into the ground and skidding along in a heavy, icy wind. He slowed to a gentle enough stop, though, rolling into a pile of loose, soft snow. Shaking his head, he poked out from the snow and blinked, coated in white, looking around in confusion. Elsa had gotten him out of the way of the beast, but he saw her across the massive lave puddle the monster had created between them. She had her hands up, walking backwards slowly, poised for a fight. The demon moved toward her, snarling in its terrible, vicious way, before it charged at her like an elephant. The ground shook with its footsteps, and with the sound of its ear twisting screech, forcing Kristoff to cover his ears as he yelled out for Elsa at the same time.

Elsa ran forward and ducked her head down, sliding on her knees over the cobblestone and scraping them raw in doing so. She ended up directly under the monster's chest, low enough to force her hands upwards and place them against what should have been its stomach, if it had organs of any sort. Ice spires rose up all around her, spearing through the beast at many different points, curling through it and tearing it to pieces. Lava flowed from the destruction like blood, and Elsa had to quickly close an ice roof over her to protect her from the floor. The heavy bulk of the monster's body fell on top of her small, protective ice structure. It cracked and some of it gave way, and chunks of burning rock and iced over magma falling down over her.

Everything was still for a moment as she cowered under her arms, which took the brunt of the debris damage. She opened her eyes and lowered her arms slowly, finding the battle over, and herself in one piece. Kristoff reached the ice structure a few moments later, hauling chunks of still hot rock away from Elsa and offering her his hand. His eyes were very wide and surprised, though he had been subjected to a rush of very dramatic and powerful emotions all at once. He thought she might have been killed, then saw her destroy the monster and felt a rush of relief. Then it all fell on top of her, and he was back to worrying about her safety. Seeing her now, alive at the very least, was a new relief.

"You wrecked that thing! That was amazing, Elsa! Are you alright? Your arm..."

He could see it was broken, and the way she cradled it against her only confirmed it. A part of the monster must have slammed into it after her attack, and shattered it. She shook her head slowly, taking a deep, measured breath. She could not answer right away, though she did reach with her good hand and allowed him to help her out of the ice fort she had created. They leaned on each other for a moment, neither feeling particularly good, but at least they had managed to defeat the monster. Still, if it had taken that much out of Elsa, and injured her that much, to destroy one... Kristoff had to wonder how they would ever be rid of them all.

But they had to face things one at a time. It was too easy to get overwhelmed in a time like this. One small victory at a time, and maybe that would add up to everything being okay.

"Come on, we have to get back to the castle. Anna's still in there." Kristoff took a very deep breath, and then moved to pick Elsa up. Normally he would have no trouble carrying her, or anyone, considering how much he carried on a daily basis, but as weak as he felt, he was having a bit of trouble. He carried her regardless, though, running them back to the castle and inside as fast as he could. He slammed the door shut and leaned against it, Elsa still in his arms.

"Kristoff! Elsa!" Anna came running over, a sword in her hand. She was waiting from something to burst into the castle to get her, but was more than relieved to see the people she cared about most there instead. She could see they were battered and burned, though, and Elsa looked very tired. Anna hurried to them, helping ease Elsa down to her feet and offering her support to her sister, holding her up as she bent forward a bit on instinct. Her arm was aching, but she knew they were all still in danger. There was no time to be waylaid by anything short of a mortal injury.

"The monsters are strong, they're difficult to defeat. They can regrow their limbs, and they're made of fire inside and out. They're going to burn all of Arendelle to the ground if we can't figure out how to stop them."

"Elsa, your arm..."

"I'm fine. We can patch ourselves up here. You evacuated all of the staff, right?" Anna nodded, and Elsa continued, "good. The supplies should still be here, though. I have friends in the kingdom, fighting these things. I lost track of them, but they should help. We've fought these before. Ian, Hans' brother... he's got to be somewhere. I need to find them, as well, and make sure they're okay."

"We have to save Arendelle first," Kristoff said, and Elsa nodded, though Anna looked sympathetic. The last thing she wanted was for Elsa to lose her friends.

"Come on, we can get you guys fixed up first, before we all run out there and get into another fight. I think I have an idea, too, but it's incredible dangerous." Anna said, nodding her head.

"When are your ideas ever not dangerous," Kristoff said, though Elsa had been thinking the same thing. She smiled, though, despite herself, and turned toward her sister to give her a tight hug. It was good to be home, even in the middle of all this chaos. She was just glad Hans had not managed to do more. Yet, anyway.

The trio hobbled their way to the physician's quarters, Anna walking with Elsa and Kristoff dragging himself along. They discussed Hans and finding him, and how to destroy the monsters all at once. She had understated her plan, and dangerous did not seem like a powerful enough word to describe how crazy it seemed. And yet, it was the only plan they had.

Elsa sat down on one of the beds in the hospital wing, taking one of the carved wooden splints she found and bracing her arm as best she could. Pain seized her and she dropped the splint, but Anna collected it for her and took over the medical work. Kristoff worked on tending his own injuries, though he was largely scraped and bruised, and there was little he could do for it. Anna carefully braced Elsa's arm and bound it as best she could, apologizing so profusely the whole time she drowned out any sounds of pain Elsa might have made.

The Queen did her best not to show how much setting her arm had hurt, knowing that Anna was feeling guilty enough as it was. She grimaced in pain and that was as far as she dared show her pain. For now, anyway. When she had a moment alone, after she could finally catch her breath, maybe she would let out all the panic and misery she had been bottling up. Or maybe not.

"Thank you, Anna, that's fine. H-help me get this thing on," she moved and stood from the bed, wobbling a bit but catching herself. Anna helped her fit a sling over her shoulder, resting her arm in it. The relief was surprising, her body relaxing now that it did not need to constantly fret about her arm. Her face was pale and she looked shaken, her eyes dull and distant as she thought things over and a moment of bleak dread settled over her. They were in over their heads, and Anna's plan to stop the monsters did not leave her feeling any more confident than when they had no plan.

"We need to get out there, and stop anyone else from getting hurt. If we're going to try this...we need to go soon."

Anna looked at her sister, nodding her head slowly after the other spoke. She was having second thoughts about her plan. It put Elsa in a lot of danger, and relied heavily on her magic in order to succeed. If something went wrong, if Elsa failed or her magic was not strong enough, or if the monsters did not react the way they needed to, it could mean disaster for them all. But she supposed doing nothing would result in the same thing, so they did not have much of a choice in the matter. Anna was not ready to simply give up and let the worst happen: she would go down swinging if she had to, and she knew her sister and Kristoff were both of similar minds.

Kristoff stepped forward, looking at Anna.

"I'll go sound the bell. It'll take me a bit to get up there, and back down, but I'll meet you both in the courtyard, okay? Hopefully the soldiers remember their training... you said it's been a while since anyone has had to do this, right? How do we know they'll remember what the bell means, and where to go?"

"We just have to hope."

Kristoff moved and kissed Anna quickly, then took off toward the high tower where the emergency bell was housed. It was sounded in times of great need, and had rung out not too long ago, to clear the civilians from the town through the evacuation tunnels below. Now it needed to be rung again, in a new tone, to order the soldiers to do the same. A ditch effort, something that had not been done in Arendelle in ages: a complete evacuation of all citizens of the Kingdom. All the soldiers would need to run down into the tunnels that ran under the water that surrounded the Kingdom, following them to the safety of the forests beyond. There were numerous paths, some that led no where, and it was dangerously easy for those who did not know what they were doing to get hopelessly lost. A team had led the civilians out, and returned to defend the Kingdom. Now, that same team, the higher ranked members of the Arendelle guard, would lead the rest of the guards and volunteers out through those same tunnels. It would be rapid and hopefully efficient.

Once they were escaping, Elsa, Anna and Kristoff would take to the tunnels themselves, and give the impression of fleeing with the rest.

Anna and Elsa remained inside the castle, waiting near the front door and listening for the bell. It began to sound, a might knell that reverberated through the air, shaking the stones of the building in their foundations, rattling windows and doors in their frames. It would be impossible for anyone in Arendelle not to hear it, even if they were busy fighting a flame spewing hell beast.

"We have to go," Anna said, looking at Elsa. The Princess was beginning to doubt her plans, and Elsa could see it. Reaching with her good hand, she gently touched her hand to Anna's arm, smiling sweetly.

"This will work. You've never failed when I needed you. When anyone needs you, you figure it out. I know this will work."

"I'm glad you're back, Elsa... just be careful out there, okay?" Anna felt calmed, as she always did when her sister stepped in and spoke in that sometimes infuriatingly calm way of hers. Anna had always thought the other was shutting her out, being mean for the sake of it, or for some injury Anna had caused that she just could not figure out. Now she knew better, that Elsa had forced herself to be isolated, and had developed this quiet, but serious and steady personality as a result.

Anna hugged Elsa and then moved with her to the door. They stepped out and saw guards running by, toward the secret entrance to the tunnels in this area. There were four, all across the city, and they met up at one point underground, follow a single path for a short distance, then split off into the various detours and dead ends, as well as the one safe path under the water. The two sisters exchanged a look, then saw Kristoff running toward them, motioning over his shoulder. He was going that way, and Anna nodded, pointing off to the east. Elsa pointed southwest, and the trio parted ways once more. They would not be parted for too long, though.

If the plan came together.


	15. Chapter 15

Elsa was running across her part of the city, toward a library that housed the underground tunnel entrance. Guards were running the same direction, the few last stragglers of the evacuation. She ordered them ahead, though they were loathe to leave her, but she stopped when she saw two familiar faces trotting along in utter confusion. They were not from here, and had no idea what was going on: someone had told them to run this way, and they had.

"Roland! Gunnar!"

The duo turned in unison toward the Queen's voice, Roland lighting up when he spotted her, and both hurrying to meet her half way. She one arm hugged them both in turn, tightly, clinging to them desperately in her joy to see them alive and well. Neither looked worse for wear, though she was sure they had been seeing some battles.

"Come on, we have to run this way. To the tunnels. Go ahead of me, both of you."

Not the types to disobey the Queen now, even when they did not fully understand her orders, the two loyal rogues ran ahead of her, casting looks back over their shoulders, alternating off without noticing it, to make sure she was following and that she was safe. She guided them vocally into the library and down a passage that had been opened up in the floor, into the tunnels below.

"Follow those that are ahead of you, run if you need to catch up with them. Go straight, then follow the tunnels as they merge. Once the path splits, you will need someone to guide you, so you must make sure you catch up to them now. Do not, for any reason, come back down these tunnels, do you understand me?"

For the first time, Elsa was giving them a direct, and stern, order, putting her foot down and showing them that she was, in fact, more than simply the Snow Queen. She was an actual ruler, and this was her land: her word was law, and they were bound to listen to it. Even when it sounded terribly dangerous and ominous, and they knew that she was up to something incredibly stupid or life threatening. Neither wanted to leave her side, and Roland was the first to speak up.

"Majesty," he said gently, bowing his head respectfully, "we are not members of your court, or your people. We aren't even really visitors here: we were just your escorts. And as your escorts, it is our duty to keep you safe. And that's what we'll do, until we can't any more, or you figure out how to get rid of us. But telling us to run away isn't going to do it."

"Forgive us, Queen Elsa," Gunnar added, bowing his head as well, "but we are staying."

Elsa watched them and was not sure if she was furious, upset from worry, or just amused by their antics. She wanted to slap them both and send them fleeing into the tunnels, but it would get her no where. She was drawn from her reverie before she came to a decision either way, as crashing sounds were heard from above. The monsters were trashing the library, no doubt, and since the secret doors were still open, they would be able to follow the fleeing Queen and company down into the tunnels. They would fit, though just barely in some parts, and they came filing in. There were four of them from this area, and they spotted Elsa quickly enough. They drew back in unison, and Elsa knew what was coming next.

Fire.

"Run. run! They're going to fill the tunnel with fire! Just go, as fast as you can!"

The trio took off down the hall as fast as they could go, and Elsa heard the fire billowing behind them and turned, forcing the palm of her good hand forward and creating a wall of ice between her and the creatures. They were not affected by the flames, it seemed, and she watched them bathe each other in the fire without pause or even seeming to notice, and certainly without any regard for each other's or their own personal safety. She imagined that it was a combination of them not needing to be careful, since they were not easily injured, and because they simply were not capable of concern for any living thing. They were created only to destroy.

At least Elsa had the power to stop their attack, and she hoped the others were not suffering a similar attack. They had no way of defending themselves from a sea of fire, and she had not considered that when they came to agree on this plan. Maybe they had made a mistake after all, running into this without more preparation. But it was too late for her to worry about any of that now. They were in the middle of it, and had to soldier on. She waited a moment before she pulled the ice down and let the monsters chase after her again, running to catch up with the other two, who had gotten some distance on her but slowed to let her gain some ground. The three hurried on down the corridor until it opened up into a larger space. She put another wall up between her and the monsters, at the end of the tunnel they had emerged from, then waited a few tense moments, praying the others would show up.

Anna came running into the space first, and Anna blocked off the monsters that were chasing her the same way she had her own. Kristoff appeared and she did the same, blocking off all the other tunnels but the one they could escape through. Taking a moment to catch her breath, she turned to the group and nodded at them slowly.

"Alright, go that way, down the tunnel to the opposite side. I'll lead these creatures down another way, and take care of them. I'll catch up with you all, I promise."

"Elsa, I don't like this part of the plan. I didn't think about it: it's too dangerous! We're relying on your powers too much, what if something goes wrong? You could get yourself trapped, or worse!" Anna could not help the rush of emotion that bowled over her, dampening her senses and forcing her focus on her sister alone. She moved away from Kristoff to take Elsa's good hand, clinging to it desperately. Elsa's warm smile and gentle, loving look calmed her only partly, though it also had a damning effect of making her feel even more guilty for putting her in such direct danger for the sake of using her magic. She trembled and Elsa closed the short distance between them, pulling her hand away from Anna's grasp only to put her arm around her sister reassuringly.

"I love you, Anna. It will be okay. Take care of the others, okay? If I don't make it back out, you need to take care of Arendelle. I know you're worried, but we can do this. Now go, I'll give you some time, but they can break through my ice if they want to." She looked at the blocked off tunnels, each one under assault from the demons on the other side of the barrier. "And they want to."

Anna relented at last, drawing away from her sister and wishing her luck quietly, before steeling herself and turning away. She ran off down the last tunnel, leading the way for Kristoff, Gunnar and Roland. Elsa watched them go until they disappeared into the darkness, counting down in her head to give them enough time to reach the proper path and give her room to work. Hearing the ice behind her starting to crack, she turned and took a deep breath.

"Alright, it's time to show you what I can really do."

Anxiety and tension burned through every nerve ending, her muscles coiling and her senses higher than she had really experienced before. She was ready for anything, or so she hoped, poising her body to run as she lifted her good hand and took a sudden breath. Magic coiled in the air around her fingers, crackling in ice blue crystals before she pulled the ice walls down and the monsters charged forward. They did not waste a second, falling over each other, spewing fire and magma in her direction in their fury. She was already running, pushing her body to the brink of exhaustion. She was not holding anything back, not this time. Not when her family and friends needed her the most, not when she knew if she failed, they would all suffer for it.

There was no choice for her here. She had to succeed, or die trying.

Gasping for air, she turned down a tunnel and dared to look back over her shoulder. The monsters were barreling behind her, everything, the small gap she had at the start quickly vanishing. Heart in her throat, Elsa forced her feet to move faster, darting down the long tunnel that she knew would lead to nothing. She was purposefully heading into a trap here, but so were they. The Queen had to be the only one to emerge from it. Skidding to a stop, she saw the wall looming up in front of her, darkness thick around her and the air running thin. She turned and the monsters crowded into the hall behind her, each one fighting as hard as it could to reach the Queen.

Stamping her foot, her powers raced through the ground, under the demons without their knowing it, an ice wall sprouting from the ground beyond where she could see, behind the numerous creatures, blocking their path back. Only the ones in the back would notice, but they were just as focused on reaching her as the ones in the front. They were not exactly thinking beasts, bent to one task at a time, and nothing more complicated than destruction.

Elsa threw her arms up in front of her, ice shimmering in front of her as fire fell over her in a wave, though she had almost not been fast enough to block it. It was constant, strong, pushing her back against the wall. The heat of it was so intense, it filling her mind, stung her eyes and made her skin begin to ache, though it was not able to actually make contact with her body due to the ice shield she was pouring her magic into at the moment. The force of the flame increased as another demon launched an attack, and another one after it. Elsa was slammed back into the wall of the cave, where the tunnel ended suddenly. It had been carved by hand, so the wall was mostly flat and unnatural. She was being forced against it, unable to move, her feet not even touching the ground as the flames bore down on her relentlessly. She was effectively pinned, grimacing and growling as she tried to push back, tried to give herself a little room. Pain was tearing through her, lancing up her broken arm and through to her shoulder, and even down her back. She screamed as another demon managed to add its fire to the assault, the pressure almost too much to bear.

She was not going to die here, not like this.

Elsa felt her magic in her like a weight, coiling and molding in one spot, just inside her chest. She focused on it, calling it forward, forcing it through her hands, through the shield in front of her, into the walls of the tunnel all around them. Every point of contact she had was in use, her body against the wall behind her allowed her to filter her magic through the stone, fusing with the stones themselves, forming into a tunnel of pure ice all around the monsters in front of her. She shut her eyes tightly and her magic burst forward from her, slamming into the beasts physically, knocking them all back with a shockwave that left ice clinging to their molten form, not readily melting despite the unnatural heat. The flames stopped and she fell forward, both arms free and instinctively moving in front of her to catch her upper body as she landed on her knees. The moment her hands connected with the floor, ice spread from her palms and fingers, racing toward the monsters and creating a thick wall between her and them. They were all trapped inside a cage of ice, giving Elsa a moment to catch her breath. Struggling to her feet, she took a deep gasp of air into her lungs and threw herself forward, palms forward, running into the wall of ice she had created and desperately pressing her hands against it, forcing one more burst of shuddering magic into the ice wall, up and around into the walls of the tunnel. She pulled her hands back and clenched her fists, the ice bursting forward and water rushing down onto the monsters with crushing force.

The demons all screeched and howled in a terrible chorus of miserable pain and confusion, the water slamming down on them, hitting their molten bodies and crushing them down, fusing them together, lava hardening and congealing into solid masses. The demons spewed fire and magma, but nothing came of it, their mouths and guts filling with water. Everything fell still, and Elsa collapsed backward to the ground, landing on her bottom and staring up at the ice wall in front of her. She cleared the ice with a gentle wave, making it shimmer and translucent like glass, to see what had become of the monsters. Nothing moved, and they almost looked like rocks that had always been there, fused together, with a few strange formations that looked like heads and hands sticking up. She panted for air, struggling to get to her feet and limp to the wall, leaning on it and closing her eyes. Her body trembled as she focused on her powers once more, slowly this time, pushing the water back with her powers and growing a circular dome around the broken tunnel, replacing what had caved in and forming a new ice tunnel. She brought down the two walls on either end, gasping as fresher air rushed in to the small space she had closed off, her head feeling light and her vision blurring for a moment as she stumbled sideways and leaned on the new wall. She could pick her way over the rocks, volcanic and dangerous looking, and then return to the tunnels from before, to follow after Anna and the others and meet them as planned.

It was going to be a long walk.

Elsa allowed herself a moment to gather her strength, then moved forward walking carefully and picking her way over the rough and uneven formation of monster rocks she had created. She did not feel guilty about it, too tired, maybe, and knowing that she had saved a lot of lives. She owed Anna a thank you for the plan, as it had worked, much better than any of them thought it would. Holding her arm to her, the sling she'd been wearing torn and burned into uselessness, Elsa managed to cross the demons and make it back to the main tunnel, eyes down cast and sweat rolling down her dusty, ash covered face.

"That was an incredible display, Queen Elsa," a soft voice said, and she jumped to hear it. her heart sank down into her chest, though her heart beat suddenly filled her ears, deafening his gentle town. She saw him standing at the mouth of the one tunnel she needed to go down, the one that would lead her out of the underground labyrinth safely. The look on his face was difficult to read, but it made her throat fill with bile and her body begin to shake. When she spoke, her voice barely managed to escape her throat, a breath on the cold air.

"Hans."


	16. Chapter 16

Anna was relieved to see the temporary camp that had been set up with the evacuated townsfolk, and all the guards that were now patrolling it. They had this as sort of escape bunker, an old village that had fallen out of use, with huts and buildings that were still perfectly sturdy. It had been reinforced enough to make it defensible, should the Kingdom come under attack and the place need to be evacuated. It had never truly been used before, not since a long forgotten war in the time of her grandparent's rule. Arendelle had been a place of peace for so long, though she supposed nothing lasted forever.

Not that this was truly a war, unless Hans was coming back here with permission from his father. She would have to worry about the political implications of this attack later, when she had a moment to focus on what she deemed to be less important. Right now, there were people to care for, lives to save. There were many injured, a large building that had once been a churched being utilized as a medical ward for those that had been burned or hurt in the assault of those monsters. Many of them were soldiers, the city evacuated early enough to not put too many civilians at risk, but inevitably there were casualties. Those that refused to move, or those that were simply too slow or incapable of it. The soldiers had done an incredible job of aiding those in need, but the attacks had taken their toll.

Anna walked through the medical ward slowly, passing each bed, bidding those that were awake or able to speak with her well and visiting with them in a gentle and tender expression of concern, hoping to give them a little happiness in seeing the Princess, and speaking with her. Seeing them smile helped steel her heart, and remind her just what was at stake in all this. It was not just about her and Hans, and it could not just be about revenge. So many lives were being caught in the middle of this terrible feud, and it needed to be ended swiftly. No one else could be risked or sacrificed.

Approaching a room that had two guards standing at arms in front of it, Anna arched her eyebrow in curiosity. Padding closer, she smiled at the guards and they stood at attention, though she could see relief and even honest joy fill their eyes as they beheld one of the rulers of Arendelle. It restored some amount of hope, knowing their Princess was still alive. What had become of their Queen they did not yet know, but seeing Anna gave them hope that their Kingdom would still be standing when the dust cleared.

"What's in this room? Supplies?"

"A stranger, perhaps working with those monsters. He comes from the Southern Isles, and we've seen his look before, when the Queen's powers were... were first revealed. We did not know what to do with him, and he was injured badly. Burned. The physician refused to leave him behind, and we brought him during the last evacuation, and let the doctor treat him. But we thought it might be... prudent... to be careful of him."

Anna's eyes widened. She knew without a doubt that it could not be Hans: it would never be that easy, and why would he be injured by his own monsters? Elsa said he had created them, and there was no way he would let himself get caught up in another simple mistake. He must have planned everything in this attack, and risking his own safety would not be an oversight he was likely to make. She did remember, though, that Elsa had been traveling with Hans' brother, and hoped that the man beyond the door was this Ian she'd been hearing about. She owed him a heavy debt if it was.

"I wish to see him," she said, with a slight nod of her head. The guards exchanged a nervous look, but bowed and stepped back, each one moving to a different side of the door, to allow her access to the room. She opened the door carefully, peering in and seeing the man resting on the bed. Stepping into the room, she closed the door behind her quietly, not wanting to startle him from his rest.

He did wake though, and sat up quickly despite her efforts. She winced and looked like a child caught with her hand in a cookie jar, her first instinct being to smile at him while grimacing. He stared at her for a long moment, disappointment moving through his eyes like a dark cloud. His gaze did clear up quickly, though, and he offered her a friendly look as he nodded his head in greeting.

"Princess Anna, I assume." She looked enough like her sister to make that an easy guess. She chuckled and nodded, straightening up and clasping her hands behind her back as she walked a bit closer to the bed. She saw how badly he had been beaten up, the bandages he bore, and the burns and scuffs on his body. He must have been in a bad fight with the monsters.

"Prince Ian. I've heard a lot about you. I'm glad to see you're okay. I mean. You are okay, right?"

"I'm alive. Is... forgive me, is Queen Elsa with you?"

Anna's eyes widened a bit at the question, and she took a moment to stare at him before she answered. Anna was a hopeless romantic, and while she had missed it a little bit before, when her sister was speaking of Ian in the middle of all that chaos and stress, she saw it now in him. She knew that look, she was sure she did, though everyone liked to say she knew nothing about love and romance. Well, maybe she hadn't when she first started, but she did now! She knew Kristoff, and she knew what was true and what was a lie. Ian's concern, she was certain, was honest. It made her heart flutter a bit, to think of her sister finding someone, a friend or more than that, after being so long alone. It was very difficult for Anna to fight the smile that threatened to split her face open, and to swallow down the excited giggle that leapt into her throat.

Remembering what her sister was doing, though, and knowing the danger she was in, quickly corrected her mood.

"She... she's not here, not yet. She should be coming soon, but it... she was fighting those monsters, those demons. We had a plan, to lure them all down into the tunnels, and Elsa had to stay to destroy them. It should have worked, I'm sure she'll be here too, I... I'm sure of it."

The two stared at each other for a long moment, and somehow a silent pact was made. Ian made to get out of the bed slowly, getting to his feet and wincing in pain, while Anna moved to his side to help him up. He thanked her and grabbed his sword, attaching it to his belt and pulling on a jacket he had been given by one of the soldiers, to replace the clothes he had lost in his battle with the fire monsters. He looked at Anna, then to the door.

The two left the room together, Anna waving at the guards and indicating that everything was just fine. They trusted her judgment, and had other things they could be doing to help besides standing at a door, so it was a relief to be freed of that duty. And to know that they had not made a mistake in bringing that man here.

Anna and Ian left the medical hall and Anna took him to a small building that she had been offered once she arrived. It was a nice place to sleep, with comfortable beds and enough room for the entire motley crew. Gunnar, Roland and Kristoff were inside, playing a card game at a table, none looking particularly happy. Looking at their faces, Anna could only assume none of them actually knew how to play, and that fact was now catching up to them.

"Anna!" Kristoff stood when he saw her and moved to her, kissing her lightly, then looking at Ian in surprise. "He looks just like..."

"This is Ian, Elsa was telling us about him. We're going to go look for her."

They never had to say it out loud, but now it was confirmed, Ian nodding his head. How could they sit idly by, playing cards or napping in a bed, if Elsa was still in danger? And Ian could still hear Hans' threat in his ears, echoing in the back of his mind. He knew that she was in terrible danger, more so than what came from this plan of theirs. He offered his hand to Kristoff, shaking it as the two quickly exchanged introductions, and Gunnar and Roland came over to greet him as friends. After that was all done, the group fell into agreement to break from the plan of simply waiting for her to come back to them, and go find her themselves.

Once they all had their weapons, some supplied by the soldiers after they reached the camp, the group set out. Kristoff stayed near Anna, not too sure what to think of this Ian, but at least trusting the Queen when she told them he had been helping her. Still, the family did not seem to have the best track record, and after how easily Hans had lied his way into their lives before, it was fair to keep his guard up, right? Just in case.

The group went back to where the tunnel ended, some distance from the camp itself, just for safety's sake. There were lookouts and scouts stationed on the ground and in the trees around the area, near the banks of the water, and a system of alerts that could be sent back to the camp in case of enemies following the paths and finding their way out of the underwater tunnel labyrinth. Anna kept her eye out along the path for any sign of Elsa, but no one reported seeing her emerge yet.

"She hasn't come out yet. Maybe the plan didn't work... it's been too long, she should be out of there by now. Do you think she's hurt? Do you think she needs our help? We need to go back in there." Anna was mostly speaking to herself as she walked toward the entrance to the tunnels, and the others followed her. Ian had not been conscious when he'd been brought through this way, but he followed along and took mental notes of the path, just in case. They started at a walk, but found themselves speeding up the closer they got to the designated tunnel she was meant to use for the plan. Anna ran when she spotted some of the ice peeking out at the mouth of a corridor, skidding around the corner and looking down into the ice tunnel Elsa had created, and all the hardened lava rocks left behind from the battle. It looked like everything had worked out, but there was no sign of Elsa herself, just the ice she left behind.

"Elsa! Elsa?" Anna ran into the tunnel, climbing over the rocks and making her way to the end, where the burned wall ended the path. She touched her hand to the charred wall, still warm under her touch considering how hot it had gotten from the raw flames, and looked around for any clues. There was nothing on this end of the tunnel, and by the time the boys were catching up to her, she was already heading back the way she had come.

"Like a bloody yo yo, this one," Gunnar grumbled as they all turned around and followed her back the way they had come, climbing over the fused monsters. Roland grunted his agreement, but they were just as loyal to Anna as they were to Elsa: that was simply their way, and the promise they made. They also just liked to complain a lot.

"Anna, over here," Kristoff was kneeling at the mouth of the cave, where the ice gave way to solid stone once more, and she hurried over to him. He was kneeling, his hand on the floor, and he looked up at her, pointing to a spot of red on the floor. The color drained from her face as she realized what it was, looking around and seeing more, a large drop of it not too far away. Blood, and an uncomfortable amount of it. Had she been injured? The trail led back toward Arendelle, not toward the camp where they were meant to meet and be safe.

Ian moved to kneel down next to a splatter of blood, touching it with the tip of his finger. It was still warm, and he assumed that meant it had only recently fallen. He looked up to tell the others that, but Anna was already following the trail down the tunnel.

"Do you think this is from before she did this," Kristoff motioned to the tunnel of ice, "or after?" He was speaking to Ian, a serious frown on his face. Ian rose, shaking his head slowly.

"After, the blood is fresh, and this can't have taken a short amount of time to do. She may have been hurt afterwards... but I can't say how." He frowned, trying not to let the cold anxiety rising in his chest get the better of him. He felt torn, unsure if he should share the threat Hans had levied, and upset and worry them further, or not. He looked at Kristoff and cleared his throat. "I am not sure if the Princess needs to hear this, but I have something to tell you. I fought my brother, in Arendelle."

He quickly explained what happened, in hushed tones, as Kristoff and the two rogues listened. A grave silence settled over them as they digested the information, but a piercing scream drew them from their thoughts, even before Kristoff had a chance to be mad about keeping something so important secret.

"Anna!"

They took off almost in unison, all three men running into the chamber where all the paths met, where they had separated from Elsa the first time. Anna was kneeling near the center of the room, down on one leg, her hands gripping her knee as she curled in toward herself. She looked up when Kristoff reached her, his hand on her shoulder before she saw him.

"He has her! Hans is here, and he has Elsa! She's hurt, we have to help her!"

Kristoff moved her hands while she was speaking, seeing the damage to her leg. Her skirt had been burned open and there was a large burn on her leg, starting at her knee and curling around her lower thigh. It looked painful, but Anna was too distracted by her anger and her determination to really notice the pain. Maybe it was shock, but she was getting to her feet almost before he was done.

"Whoa, slow down!"

"No, we have to go and get her! Wait, Ian, wait for us!"

Ian was already running down the tunnel, seeing blood splatters on the floor and knowing that was the way they had gone. Gunnar followed after him, and Roland moved to help Kristoff with Anna, getting her to her feet, though the ice hauler simply picked her up to ease the issue of her walking, carrying her as they ran to catch up with the other two.


	17. Chapter 17

Hans laughed as he ran, holding Elsa over his shoulder as he ran. She was unconscious, not moving or offering any fight as he hurried down the corridor, leaving a trail of fire behind him to slow his pursuers enough to get out of the tunnels before them.

He had to admit, them defeating all of those creations all at once had been more than a little surprising. He had wasted so much of his magic, and likely one or more of his own brothers, to create those things, and she had wiped them out with a simple plan and some well executed magic. It just went to show, no matter how strong he really felt, he was nothing compared to natural magic. His powers were granted to him, and though they were perfectly suited to making others suffer, they were not honed, and could not, as far as he knew, grow stronger with age and practice. All he could do was pour more energy into his plans to get what he wanted.

She... she had unlimited potential. However wasted it was. She disgusted him, but intrigued him as well. If there were a way for him to be like her, to have the same kind of magic to draw from, without limits or consequences, he would have anything he wanted. For now, he supposed he would just settle for her, her family, and his damned brother. Yes, that was a good start.

He emerged from the tunnels and kept running, leaving a wall of flames behind him at the exit, to keep them busy. It would die down, his powers not even having the same lasting powers as hers did when he was just using naked flame, but it was enough to get him where he needed to go. He carried the Queen back toward her castle, forcing the door open and slamming it shut behind him, panting as he dropped her to the floor and leaned back against the door to catch his breath. She hit the ground hard and rolled, groaning in pain. Blood had caked against the side of her head, where he had managed to strike her before she could use her powers on him. He was lucky she had been so worn down from her battle with his monsters, or he likely would have been frozen to the floor before he had a chance to land a hit. Her instincts and magic were tapped, though, and there was nothing she could do to defend herself. He preferred it that way.

Looking down at her when she made another noise, he saw her pushing her hands under her, struggling to sit up, even to lift her head to look up at him. He did not have the ability to use the same curse on her as he had before, to bind her magic: he needed time and clarity to prepare, and nothing about this turn of events had been planned. He had to roll with the punches, so to speak, and he watched her carefully. If she tried anything fishy, he still had his sword and the dagger he had struck her with, using the hilt as a blunt force weapon. And of course, his magic, for what it was worth now.

"I have to admit, Elsa, I had no idea just how powerful you were," he said, pushing away from the door and circling around her, his voice echoing down the massive, empty hall of the castle entryway. He lashed out and kicked her savagely in the side, knocking her to the floor after her profound efforts had gotten her a few inches up. She moaned in pain, tears rolling down her cheeks as her eyes remained screwed tightly shut. Her arms curled across her stomach, where his foot had met her frame, her breath coming it ragged gasps. Her broken arm was red and swollen, the rest of her skin pale. He could see her lithe body trembling with each troubled breath.

And still, she managed to speak.

"You haven't begun to see what I can do," she growled, looking up at him with stormy, crystal clear blue eyes. She had no fear in her gaze, anger and a deep sense of self strength and confidence fueling her, supporting her. He had not seen such a look in her eyes before: when he knew her last, all she had to rely on was her fear, and her doubt. They had led her wrong, but now she seemed to have learned more from her mistakes than he had been counting on. She was defiant, determined. A woman with something to lose, now, where before she had already been lost. He watched her quietly, for a beat, a silent moment, then huffed through his nose and folded his arms over his chest.

"I suppose not, but you're not going to get the chance now. When they come to save you, I'm going to be rid of you all together. I think I might let my brother watch you die first, hm? And your poor, helpless little sister next. She's going to suffer, and once again it's because you couldn't defend her. Couldn't save her. But this time, a sweet little hug won't be enough to stop me."

Elsa made a pained sound as she pushed herself up one more time, coughing as she righted her body enough to look up at Hans. His eyes were dark as he stared down at her, sunken and heartless. The gentle, innocent quality to his face was completely lost, perhaps because now she knew better, or perhaps because he was no longer pretending to be something he was not. Either way, he looked like the villain he really was, and he grinned at her as she scowled at him.

"Oh, don't give me that look, Elsa. I'll fall in love with you if you do," he laughed, holding up his hand and surprising her with a burst of fire. A small ball of it slammed into her chest, near the base of her neck, just over her breastplate, causing her to gasp in pain and surprise as she fell back to the floor again, this time landing face up on her back, her hand clasping her throat and she struggled to breath. She had no time to react before he had a foot on her chest, bearing his weight down on her, and she stared up at him with wide, panicked eyes. She grabbed his leg, unable to draw a proper breath, her heart thundering unhappily against her rip cage is if it wanted to break through and get its own oxygen. Her lungs were burning from her effort, each gasp failing to fill them enough to ease the pain. He grinned at her as he pushed her down against the floor, pressing his foot into her rib cage enough to make her cry out in agony, until he felt something crack, He pulled his foot back, his laughter cruel and cutting. He kicked her in the side once more, rolling her onto her broken arm and leaving her curled in pain on the floor. He left her only for a moment, searching for chains.

Thankfully, he remembered his time in the castle, when he had been taking care of Arendelle in their last time of need. He knew where the supplies were, and quickly gathered the chains and ropes he wanted. He returned to the fallen Queen, who had not been able to move from where he had left her, listening to her whimper in pain for a moment before he grabbed her roughly and pulled her arms back, tying them together before using the chains to further secure her. From what he had seen so far, her hands and her movements allowed her the best use of her powers, and he fully intended on not allowing her to interfere with his revenge any more than she already had. She was his now, his tool against his brother, and his path to utterly crushing Anna. Strange, how such a lonely creature turned out to be the heart of the people he needed to hurt the most. It made it almost too easy.

But he would always take the easy way.

"Oh Elsa," he said, stepping back to admire his work. She looked miserable, tied painfully tight, enough to cut of circulation to her limbs. He hoped that would keep her from being able to harness her magic, should she manage to gather her wits and strength enough to try and attack him. He had even gone so far as to cover her mouth with a cloth, gagging her and leaving her helpless to even call out for help. She was breathing heavily, as best she could with her mouth now covered, and staring up at him with those terribly piercing, icy eyes. He was surprised by the shudder that moved through his spine when she glared at him.

Clicking his tongue behind his teeth, he grabbed her by the shoulders and hauled her off the ground, throwing her over his shoulder once more and carrying her into the throne room. He put her down on the throne, tying her to it with more rope, which he secured around her neck, her head, and around her legs to the feet of the chair. Her arms were still secured behind her from his first efforts to tie her, as he had not taken any of that off. She moaned in pain, eyes closed, unable to move even slightly. Hans watched her, thinking he might have gone a bit over board, but then he remembered what she had done to his monsters.

She was not as innocent as she looked, despite her sweet looking face and her timid personality. He saw the true nature of her magic, and understood that if she wanted to, she could destroy him in terrible, painful ways. And he would deserve it, too. He grinned at her, standing in front of her now and leaning close, caressing her cheek with the back of his fingers gently. She opened her eyes and glared at him silently, but this time he simply smiled back at her, his own eyes burning with his lust for power and the idea that he was very close to what he wanted.

"You are so strong, Elsa. I don't know where all this... gusto came from, but I'm going to break you. And you're going to watch everyone else die first. That's what you've earned. You get to die last now."

Elsa's nose wrinkled in a growl, but that was the only response she could make. She could not move, and was losing the feeling in her arms and legs due to the way he'd tied her. Her breath was coming easier, but the pain in her body was still incredible, and it was hard for her to focus on much else, though the anger burning through her certainly helped as a distraction.

The Queen closed her eyes and rested her head back as comfortably as she could, considering she could barely move it. Hans watched her for a moment longer, lingering close to her face as she ignored him, then moved away and moved to the balcony where many announcements were made. Down in the pavilion below, he saw one of his monsters wandering around without direction. It seemed to be the only one that had survived, but he would take it for what it was. An extra pair of hands, so to speak, in helping him against his enemies.

Who would be arriving shortly.

Leaning on the railing around the balcony, he watched the gate just beyond the courtyard, the only entrance into the castle. Surely they would realize he had come here for shelter, since it was the only building worth its weight in mortar. It did not take as long as he thought it might for him to spot the group, two of them running ahead and the others appearing not too far behind them. He grinned, waiting for them to cross the gate and run into the courtyard before he bellowed down at them, his voice echoing across the empty space, the Kingdom wholly silent besides his voice ringing out.

"Well, I was wondering when you guys would show up! Here I was, thinking you would not make the party!"

"Where is Elsa, Hans?" Ian shouted back, fury in his face. He had his sword in hand, though that would do him no good. The man beside him, someone Hans did not really recognize as a face of note, was sporting a crossbow, and held it up to level it at the youngest Prince of the Southern Isles. Hans did not move from his spot, shaking his finger down at them.

"Ah ah ah, no spoiling the surprise. You want her? Come and find her. You might even get to her while she's still alive."

"Damn you, Hans! Nothing we do will be punishment enough for you, you miserable, spoiled little brat! How can you be so heartless?" Ian yelled back, and Anna's voice overlapped his.

"Give me back my sister, Hans! It's me you want, isn't it?"

"Oh yes," Hans said, as he watched Kristoff, who was holding Anna in his arms, look down at her in horror. The man raised by Trolls could not fathom losing the woman he loved, not even if it meant getting Elsa back. He knew he could never say anything like that out loud, but if he had to choose, he would always pick Anna. It was his job to protect her, to keep her happy and healthy, and to stop Hans in any of his evil plots. There was no way he would ever get to Anna, not without having to go through Kristoff first, and the glare he leveled up at Hans told him all of that without room for confusion. "You'll have your turn soon, too, my dearest. I know you must miss me, after our whirlwind romance. Very soon, Anna. But first, let's see how you handle my very last little friend, without your Ice Queen."

The last lava monster stepped forward, growling viciously, lumbering toward the group. Ian yelled in frustration and ran at it, Roland and Gunnar following him with their weapons raised. Anna yelped as Kristoff ran toward the castle itself, under the balcony where Hans was watching them, so she could be safe from his gaze and hopefully from the battle itself. Anna caught his hand when he put her down and tried to leave her, shaking her head.

"Kristoff, be careful! Please!"

"Just stay here, Anna," he said gently, moving close and stooping enough to kiss her as she leaned back against the wall of the castle, comfortably perched on the ground to keep pressure off of her injured leg. She closed her eyes with the kiss, feeling them beginning to burn with the threat of tears. He pulled back and then kissed her on the head before he moved away from her, drawing his pickaxe rather than his sword as he charged toward the fray.

Anna watched him, wide eyed, feeling hopeless and useless. There had to be something she could do.


	18. Chapter 18

"Kristoff, we have to take this thing out quickly! If Elsa is hurt in there, she needs us as fast as possible," Ian called.

"You two get in there, we'll handle this thing!" Gunnar said, and Roland looked at him in surprise, mostly because he was being volunteered without his consent. Not that he would disagree with it, nodding his head after the initial shock wore off.

"We can keep this thing busy, don't you doubt that. You two get into that castle and save the Queen! If anything happens to her, I'll whip you both accordingly." He glared at them, and Kristoff got the impression that, though they hardly knew each other, Roland would not hesitate to kick his head in if Elsa was brought to more harm. He nodded his head, and Ian did the opposite, shaking his head in protest of leaving his friends to fight a giant lava monster on their own.

"We've seen how these things fight, and we've had enough spats with them to know how to handle ourselves. You focus on the Queen, before we both get mad," Gunnar said, seeing Ian's doubt, and the Prince had no choice but to relent.

"Stay well, friends," Ian said, before running away from the battle, Kristoff just behind him, leaving the two to keep the lava spewing beast distracted. It was funny how exposure made such a terrible creature seem somehow less intimidating. It was no less dangerous now than it had been the first time they saw it, but after fighting a few of these now, they were almost a normal part of their current life.

As strange as that was.

Ian and Kristoff ran to the castle doors, slamming into them and struggling to get them open. Hans had sealed the door, and they did not have a way to open it from the outside beyond brute force. The two of them together kicked the battered and worn door hard enough, a few times, to finally make it buckle and the wood gave out, allowing them a small hole to enter the castle and race into the empty halls.

"This way, to the throne room, upstairs. He's on the balcony," Kristoff said, taking the lead because he knew the lay out of the building. Ian followed, determined, both running without even noticing any fatigue as they stayed focused on the goal at hand. In the back of his mind, Kristoff worried about Anna, who was sitting outside while there was a battle going on. Should he have brought her in with him? It was too late to turn around now, but he now he was going to be plagued with worry.

And he had every right to be. Anna was determined to help, and if she could not go inside with the boys, she would aid Gunnar and Roland with their fight. She had an idea, and just had to hope she would be able to pull it off before they were hurt, or something worse. Pulling herself up along the wall and limping away from the castle entrance and the fight itself, she was aiming for the stables. There was no way she was going to sit around and watch others fight, or let her sister suffer as she waited for someone else to save her. She had to take an active role in the effort, even if she could not accomplish anything.

As long as she could say she put every single ounce of effort she was capable into it, then she could be satisfied.

Ian and Kristoff were already upstairs by the time Anna crept into the entry hall. They met the door to the throne room and were prepared to kick it in, but the moment Ian's foot hit it, it swung open effortlessly. It had not even been latched, let along locked. Stunned for a moment, the two exchanged looks before Ian motioned for Kristoff to be his back off. He moved forward slowly, sword in hand. There was nothing in the room but a long walkway across the tile, laid out in carpet, that guided those who entered directly to the steps of the throne. He saw the throne and then the person tied to it, shock and fear hitting him all at once.

"Elsa!"

He did not see Hans, but he stopped looking. He ran forward, putting his sword in its sheath as he all but leaped across the distance between them and reached her in a matter of moments. He saw the blood on her face, the bruises that had formed over her temple and her eye, even reaching her cheek bone. Her soft, pale skin was marred with cuts and burns, and discoloration. It hurt him just to see it, and he reached his hand up gently to remove the gag from her mouth. She flinched at the touch, opening her eyes and looking at him in surprise before she recognized who he was.

"Ian, no, it's a trap," she breathed, her tone shaking as she spoke. The pain in her body had not subsided. She was feeling weaker and weaker, and her beautiful blue eyes reflected that acute suffering. Ian gently cupped her cheek in his hand, on the side not sporting the bruises, and leaned closer to her, shaking his head as he spoke.

"I know, of course it is. But I'm not going to let him hurt you any more."

He slipped his knife onto the throne, behind her back. It was within reach of her fingers, though she was unsure if she would be able to grab it with her arms asleep and feeling as though they were completely gone. She moaned as he untied the straps keeping her head and neck stationary, his hand on her face sliding to support her neck as she moved her head down a bit. He remained very close to her, fully focused on getting the Queen out of the terrible position Hans had put her in.

"Ian, look out!" Kristoff's voice rang out, and the twang of a crossbow firing brought Ian's attention away from Elsa at last. He turned in time to see Hans, sword raised, only a few feet away from him suddenly divert his path and dive back into the shadows. A crossbow bolt bounced off the tile floor and skittered away, and Ian turned to see Kristoff holding the bow itself, a look of grim determination and disappointment on his face.

"He's there!" Ian turned and moved away from Elsa, leaving her on the chair for now as her head drooped forward. She was having a hard time staying awake, and he had no time to worry about it, though terror gripped his heart and filled his chest with tension and a biting, cold fear. He channeled that into his pursuit. Hans was running across the room, toward the balcony once more.

"Where are you going, coward? Don't you want to say hello to your brother?" Ian yelled, and Hans turned abruptly at the door.

"Of course I wanted to say hello. I just needed a little bit of air." He grinned, holding up his hand and launching a ball of flames toward Ian, who dropped to the ground. The flames flew over his head and slammed into the floor behind him, creating a large black scar on the tile and catching the carpet nearby on fire. Kristoff was at his side in a heart beat, grabbing him by the arm and helping him to his feet once more. They had to dive away from one another as Hans launched more fire their way, this ball traveling much farther and slamming into a wall. It lit one of the long banners that draped from the ceiling in the colors of Arendelle on fire, his magic losing its control, its innate poise. It was raw and dangerous, in a way that he could not control any more. He had precious little time, and was doing his best to end the battle here. The wind behind him helped his fire burn hotter, faster, and he did not relent.

"Come on boys, two against one? Can't you do any better than this?"

He held his hands out in different directions, following both men as they scrambled to their feet and moved to find some sort of protection. The only hiding spots the long hall offered were the throne itself, which no one would use for fear of hurting Elsa, and the tall pillars that ran along either side of the massive hall. At the steps of the throne and the door to the balcony, though, there were no pillars. There was no shelter to be found at all, in fact. Flames burst from his palms in a line, billowing out and racing toward both Ian and Kristoff in large plumes.

Ian took his chance and ran toward the fire, then leaped forward and dove to the floor, skidding under the bottom of the flame, though it seared his back. It burned white hot, and the contact was immediately agonizing, but he pushed himself through, hauling himself to his feet without losing momentum and hurtling his body toward Hans. Kristoff had to dive out of the way, leaping sideways to escape the fire coming his way. As he rolled he pulled the crossbow out and fired an arrow at Hans.

Hans laughed and held his hand up, burning the bolt before it could reach him, though it had cut through the air with impressive speed and accuracy. While doing that, though, he was sufficiently sidetracked enough to get himself tackled by his brother. The two toppled to the ground again, as they had in their fight before, slamming his fist into Hans' face. It felt so very good to finally land a solid, dangerous blow to his brother's wicked, grinning face. After all he had made them suffer through, he was finally going to be stopped. There was no chance Ian would let him get away again. There was no where to go. Ian stopped punching Hans after a few blows, to catch his breath, keeping the other man pinned to the ground as Kristoff ran up to help him.

"Feeling better, Ian?" Hans said, spitting blood to the floor and grinning. He might have lost a tooth, with all the blood in his mouth. "Getting some good old fashioned revenge always feels nice, doesn't it? You're no better than me. You pretend to be, but you're still my blood. If only you could see that... we would not be stopped if you just saw that."

"Shut up, Hans," Kristoff grunted, "he's not interested in your babbling."

Hans glowered at the unwelcome interruption and moved suddenly, lifting his hand up and placing it against Kristoff's chest as the other was trying to, with Ian's help, get Hans up and secured. The force of the flame ball that suddenly appeared between Hans' palm and the plain of Kristoff's chest was so explosive, it sent the ice carver flying violently across the room. He slammed through the door to the balcony, shattering the glass and not slowing in the slightest, as if he had just passed through a wet sheet of paper. He disappeared over the edge of the balcony, plummeting to the ground below.

"Kristoff!" Ian yelled in horror, but there was nothing he could do for the other now. He looked at Hans with new fury, slamming him back into the ground and slamming his tightly clenched fist into his younger brother's gut. It made Hans gag in agony, gasping sharply as he tried to breathe in while all the air in his lungs was busy rushing out. He gasped out a laugh, though the sound was pained and twisted, and Ian punched him again. "You killed him! You think that's funny? You think you can just kill whoever you want, and there will be no consequences for you? This is the end, Hans! This is the last person you will ever hurt! I cannot stand by and let you do these terrible things!" He pulled his sword from its sheath.

"What are you going to do, brother? Execute me? Do you have that right? Our dear old father told you to stop me, by any means necessary, hm? That sounds like him. He never had much regard for me, and hardly noticed I was alive, anyway, so why should he care if you kill me? Do you think I fear that, really, after all of this? Do you think you can really do it?"

"You've given me no choice. For Kristoff, for Anna, for Queen Elsa, I have to do this." He stood, shoving Hans down and slamming his foot down onto the other's gut, much like Hans had done to Elsa, though Ian did not know it. They were more alike than he really wanted to admit, though he knew it was a lie to say Ian could ever follow in the footsteps Hans had burned into the ground before him.

"Ah yes, for your new friends. Your family, hm? You've known them for how long, now, and you're willing to die for them? Kill for them? And yet you've known me your whole life."

"I don't know you. Not any more. Whatever you've become, you're not my brother any more, and you're not our father's son. You deserve what you get, Hans. I won't feel guilt for what I must do now."

Hans laughed and watched his brother, sitting up slowly. He was bleeding and his vision was blurry, his face likely to swell and his eye close up from the force of the hits he had taken. Ian was certainly not holding anything back now, and it was a strangely exhilarating thing to see. He had brought his brother to the brink of desperation. Hans laughed, shaking his head.

"You sappy fool. You let your feelings get the better of you, just like Anna did when I needed to use her. You walked into my trap to save a woman you hardly know, because what? Your heart told you to? You have some sense of loyalty to her, though she is not your Queen. She is not even from our Kingdom! An outsider you've taken a shine to. Pathetic. The whole lot of you."

"Stop talking about her, Hans. Shut your mouth." Ian growled and loomed over him, holding his sword so tightly that his knuckles were ghost white, his hand shaking as he brought the blade in front of him. He was holding it upside down, pointing down toward Hans with the blade. He was ready to plunge the sharpened point into Hans' chest, through his heart, and end the whole thing. His arms shook as he held the sword up, but he scowled and forced his hands to follow through the motion.

"Ah, yes. No speaking of the Queen. Though, it seems as though you might have forgotten about her." He grinned ear to ear as Ian moved swiftly, hauling the sword up into the air, still pointed down, and even began to plunge it straight down toward its target. His motion was arrested fully when Hans spoke, though, and a cry of feeble pain followed. It was not from either of them, however, and Ian turned to see Elsa struggling in the throne, against her bonds, the bottom of it burning with a fire that had no source.

"No!" Ian cried, as Hans lashed out. He brought his knee up and slammed it into his brother's gut while he was not watching, then kicked his brother away as hard as he could. Hans scrambled to his feet and skittered away, toward the door and the hall beyond. He had no plans from here, but he needed to get away. Regroup. There had to be a way to work with what he had left.

Ian ran to Elsa, almost slamming into the throne as he immediately began to undo the bonds, feeling the fire burning beneath the chair, licking at his legs.


	19. Chapter 19

Kristoff felt the air racing by him as he fell through it, his clothes whipping in various directions as he plummeted down from the balcony, toward the courtyard below. He could not fathom what was about to happen, what it might be like for his world to suddenly stop. He could only think of Anna, of leaving her in the middle of all of this. The idea that he had failed her sank in as he fell, his eyes closed, his mind filled only with regret. Was he not supposed to feel peace for his last moments? He thought that was the way of things. Instead, all he knew was a miserable, deep guilt, leaving Hans to do whatever he wanted to his friends. To Anna, who did not deserve someone to hate her so.

The impact was much softer than he was expecting. In fact, he was not sure what he was expecting, but being able to reflect on the impact was not a part of it. He opened his eyes after a moment, looking around in wonder. He realized that his back felt wet, or cold, and when he put his hands down to push himself up it was cold and the ground made a soft crunching sound. Like snow compacting together.

He blinked in surprise, looking down to see that it was, in fact, snow.

"Kristoff!"

He turned at the voice, seeing Anna hanging over the shoulder of their current ride. A massive walking snow drift, lovingly nicknamed Marshmallow. At the moment he did seem like one, made of smooth ice fashioned in a human shape, though his body was massive, his legs and arms thin, his hands and feet thick and sturdy. He had an odd shaped head and hollow, blue holes for eyes. At the moment, he had no visible spikes of ice or fangs, but if he got angry, they came out. He was looking at Kristoff in concern, holding the man close to his face, and making soft sounds in his worry.

"Oh... M-Marshmallow. You caught me! Anna, where did you find him?!"

"Do you remember when we were evacuating the Kingdom, and I sent for Olaf? I sent him to find and bring Marshmallow back. He was in the stable this whole time!" She smiled brightly, looking very proud of herself for thinking of it, though she wondered if it might have been more useful to remember their giant, lumbering ice friend sooner. He was passive now, fond of them now that they were not intruding on his Mistresses' home, as he had been created to defend Elsa. He had defeated the lava monster for Gunnar and Roland, and had just happened to notice Kristoff flying out of that balcony in time to catch him.

Stooping down, kneeling slowly and letting Anna climb down his arm, Marshmallow placed Kristoff down on the ground gently. He let the two reunite, standing up and looking up at the balcony again. He made a rumbling sound of displeasure, seeming to know that Elsa was up there, and in need of help. There was smoke rising up from the castle as fires began catching and spreading further.

Anna hugged Kristoff tightly, then looked down at his chest. He was wounded, burned badly on his chest, and she gave him a helpless kicked puppy look as she realized she was hurt. "I'm so sorry you were hurt, Kristoff! I love you! Are you okay? We need to get you to a doctor, and fast! Your sled is in the stable, isn't it? We can use Marshmallow to get us out of here."

"You don't want to leave Elsa, though, do you?" He could hear the way her tone dropped off as she vocalized her idea, and he knew she realized what could happen if they left. She would never abandon her sister.

"No, you're right. We have to wait. Are they okay in there? Oh God, is the castle on fire?! Gunnar, Roland! Please, you have to go in there and get my sister!" She couldn't run on her knee, and Kristoff was in no condition to be running around in a burning building. None of them were, really, but there was no rest for any of them yet. She did not know how the fight with Hans was going, if it was over, or even if anyone was hurt worse than Kristoff and herself. She knew Elsa had been hurt and tired before this whole thing started, back in the tunnel, and that she had been bleeding when she saw Hans running off with her in the tunnel.

It made her heart sink, just wondering. And the look on Kristoff's face, like there was something he was not telling her, did not help that feeling.

"What? What is it?"

"Hans has Elsa tied to the throne upstairs. She... she looked a little scuffed up. But I think she'll be fine. You know how tough she is, right? She'll bounce back, and Ian is up there with her. They'll get out of there. The smoke is probably from the fire balls he was throwing at us. They hit a couple banners, but with all that stone I'm sure they're fine in there. Stone doesn't burn, right?" Kristoff smiled at her, then winced as pain from his chest reminded him he was actually rather badly injured. He whimpered, shaking his head. "Well, besides my stone chiseled abs."

Anna couldn't help but smile through her worry, but it was hard to think clearly with her sister still in danger. She cleared her throat, gently kissing Kristoff on the cheek.

"Wait here, okay?"

"What?"

Anna turned and motioned for Marshmallow, who picked her up gently and walked where she pointed, like a giant, oddly shaped horse. Kristoff yelped in protest but there was nothing he could do to stop a giant walking snowman, and he watched as Marshmallow carried Anna toward the front door, broken though it was. She patted him on his soft snow shoulder, urging him to kick the door in the rest of the way. He lifted his might foot to do just that, but stopped short before the foot met the door as it was pulled open.

Hans stared in wide eyed surprise at the familiar snow monster before him, and at the girl riding in its arms. Marshmallow recognized Hans as well, and did not have as gentle a reaction to him as with Kristoff. The snow beast roared in fury, ice spikes bursting from its back and shoulders like a porcupine suddenly on guard. They ran down the length of what was presumably his spine, and his hands and feet were now clawed with ice talons. His mouth was filled with sharp, dangerous looking icicle teeth, and his eyes were glowing a dangerous blue as he moved to finish his stomp, bringing his mighty foot down on Hans.

The Prince leaped out of the way, rolling forward across the floor and managing to dart past them. Anna yelped and turned Marshmallow around, her reaction times much better than his. They worked as a team. He was the strength and the muscle, while she was the eyes and brain. It was working so far, but she had not been expecting Hans to suddenly appear. He was running away from the castle, which left her wondering what had happened inside. Ian and Elsa were not with him, after all, but he did look thoroughly battered and bloody from a fight.

"Catch him! Come on Marshmallow, don't let him get away!"

Hans could not believe his bad luck. He had just gotten out of a brutal fight, and now he had to run from this damn monster from his past. It was the beast that he based his own monsters on, though this one had something they all lacked. It seemed to be able to think, to respond, even learn. It was alive, where his creations had simply been moving, always focused on the task he assigned them.

Now he was running across the courtyard, with Marshmallow thundering along behind him. He saw that the two soldiers from earlier were also following him on foot. Kristoff was sitting on the floor not too far away, but he could not help in the chase. He was waving his arms enthusiastically, though, and yelling for Anna to get Hans. He wanted nothing more but to see that man stopped and brought to justice, and now they were terribly close.

He could not get away again.

It was not difficult for Marshmallow to catch up to Hans. He was smaller and much more agile, certainly, but he was tiny and had nothing on the great strides the giant could take. It reached out and closed its free hand around the fire wielding Prince, hauling him up off his feet with a crushing grip. Hans struggled feebly, kicking his feet and trying to call his fire, but it lacked the strength it needed to do anything to the magical ice and snow that comprised Marshmallow's body. The snowman brought Hans up to eye level, holding him for Anna to see.

"Good work, buddy! You did a great job! And you," she looked at Hans, pulling herself closer to him, as best she was able. She pulled her hand back and punched him as hard as she could. It was not a slap, not a hit. She punched him, hard enough to make her knuckles hurt. The sound it made was satisfying, but she was not in it for satisfaction. Her eyes were burning with tears after she pulled her hand back. "Why can't you leave us alone? Why are you so evil?! After all the terrible things you've done, I should let Marshamallow throw you into the water and let you sink to the bottom, but I won't!"

"You won't?" Hans eeped out, being squeezed tight enough to just barely cut off his ability to breathe. It was very difficult to draw a breath, but he could still do it. His ribs felt like they were about to crack.

"No, of course not. Not everyone operates on the same wavelength as you! You're evil, and you think the only way to solve the pain you've suffered is by making other people suffer the same, or worse. I think you are a monster, but you don't deserve to die for it. No one does. I just never want to see you again."

"You let me go, and I'll come back."

"Then Elsa will have to decide what to do with you. She is the Queen."

"She was." He grinned at her, and Anna almost lashed out at him again. She stopped herself, though, and looked back at the castle on impulse, for the most part. The smoke was still rising, and she did not see Elsa or Ian emerging from the castle. She felt fear in her heart, but could not let it guide her decisions, just as she could not let her hatred or anger impair her decision making ability. If there was one thing she had learned from Elsa after all this time, and all the mistakes they had made, it was to control her emotions and make sure she was thinking with a clear head.

She had to see through his bluffing. That was what it had to be.

"You did not kill her, I know you didn't. Ian is alive, too. You wouldn't have been running out of there like a dog with its tail between its legs. You lost, whatever that fight in there was. So don't try to upset me or think you can manipulate my emotions. Anyway, it's his emotions you're going to need to get to, if you want him to put you down." She patted Marshmallow on the shoulder and smiled at him pleasantly. Hans looked at Marshmallow, who was giving him a dead eye stare, which was profound for someone without eyes.

"Let's take him back over there, Marshmallow, and keep a good hold on him."

The snow beast nodded its head slowly and growled. He stomped over toward Kristoff and let Anna down, then sat down with both hands around Hans now, holding him firmly in place and not loosening his hold from before. There was no way he would let Hans go without a direct order, and Hans did not have the ability to get himself free without some time to concentrate. He could only hope Elsa and Ian were still in enough peril that it would take them time to escape the burning castle he had left behind in his wake.

He would not make their escape as easy as his own, after all.

"Anna, you are amazing," Kristoff said gently, as she sat down behind him and took a slow breath. He put his arm around her and closed his eyes, resting his forehead to hers and smiling gently. He was relieved, and could finally take a moment to breathe, though not too deeply. "Elsa and Ian are still in the castle, aren't they? Where are Gunnar and Roland?"

Looking around, Elsa saw that they were missing. They must have gone back into the castle when they realized Anna had Hans well in hand. Well, Marshmallow had, anyway. She could only hope they would be able to get the others out of there safely, and quickly. The smoke plume growing out of the top of the castle was growing steadily. Both Kristoff and Anna watched the smoke in wonder as it curled toward the sky, dread settling over them. He held her hand tightly, taking a deep breath to clear the silence and cut the tension.

"I'm sure they're going to be okay, Anna. Don't get any crazy ideas about running in there and trying to pull them out yourself. You can't even walk, remember. It worries me that I have to remind you about that, but I really do think you'll forget on purpose." Kristoff watched her seriously, though his words were meant to be light and teasing, gentle enough to help her relax a little bit.

He was not sure if he was successful, but at least she gave him one of her patented glares. He could see the love in her gaze, even if she did not smile yet.

"I don't need you babying me, Kristoff, I get enough of that from Elsa. I'm fine, and if I wanted to, I could go in there and drag them all out with my bare hands. But I don't want to leave you behind, you know. You'd be hopelessly lost without me, after all."

"Right."

"They're both dead, you know. And you're flirting is making me want to vomit. No one is coming out of that castle alive, now shut up about it," Hans grumped, and was rewarded for his bitterness by a gentle squeeze from Marshmallow, at Anna's request with a nod. Hans quickly shut up after that, focusing more on breathing than talking. His words hard worked, though, and Anna looked back at the castle with the same worry and fear that Kristoff had been hoping to alleviate.


	20. Chapter 20

"Elsa, stay with me, okay? Elsa?!"

Ian was struggling with the bindings Hans had secured Elsa to the chair with, though the throne was burning beneath them and the room around them was quickly lighting up on fire completely. Elsa was quiet, slumped forward in her chair, barely responding when he spoke to her. He knew she was breathing in too much smoke, he was too, and had to hurry. Slamming the hilt of his sword down on the last chain, he freed her from most of her bonds and from the chair itself, at least. She fell forward, away from it, and he managed to slide around the chair and catch her. Her eyes were closed and her face was pale. Her body was limp as he carried her in his arms, running toward the door. There was more smoke and fire in the hall, and he swore under his breath as he ran down the hall to find a safe place.

He ducked into another room, one that was not filled with fire, though he was sure it would not be too long until it was. He put her down gently on the bed he found there, feeling her neck for her pulse. She was still tied but he hadn't had time to get all of the ropes off, just the ones keeping her to the chair. It took him a few moments now, with his head about him, to slice through the ropes and slide the chains off. She had not moved the entire time he was working, but he did not fail to notice her rasping breathing slow. His heart stilled in his chest when he failed to find her pulse, and he bent his head to her chest, listening for the heart inside. The silence was horrible as the seconds stretched into an eternity of anxious waiting.

Nothing.

He heard nothing. He felt nothing. Her heart was still and silent.

"Elsa, no! Come on, you can't give up after all of this!" He tilted her head up, holding her still as he bent close and breathed for her, trying to get her heart to wake up. He took another deep breath, trying not to cough from all the smoke he had inhaled in the other room, and bent to her again, pressing his lips to hers and forcing the air into her lungs. She sputtered and coughed, drawing a ragged, sharp breath as she opened her eyes, then began to cough violently after he pulled away. He helped her to sit up, letting her clear her lungs, then wrapped his arms around her tightly and held her to him. She was dazed and struggling to catch a breath, but she gently touched his back with her hand, closing her eyes and panting slowly.

"You scared the life out of me," he whispered, pulling back to look at her face, caressing her cheek and shaking his head. She looked terrible, but she was alive, and that was really all he could focus on at this point. Joy was pulsing through him and he felt adrenaline coursing through him from the near miss. He pressed his lips to hers, but this time it was not to breathe for her. She closed her eyes again, making a small sound of surprise in her throat, but she leaned toward him, returning the kiss until she needed another breath. Breaking away, she looked at him with a confused, but warm gaze.

She took a breath and didn't cough, her heartbeat finally slowing to something close to normal.

"I-I'm sorry," she managed to said, her voice ragged. Moving closer, she slid her arms around his neck and hugged him, shuddering in his arms. He held her for a long moment, as long as he dared, before pulling back and taking her face in his hands gently.

"We have to get out of here, okay? This whole place is burning down, and we have to go. Can you run?" Elsa shook her head slowly, unable to lie about it. She would just slow them both down if she did, and that would get them killed. "I'll carry you. Come on."

He moved to pick her up and she moaned in pain. Her ribs were paining her from Hans' assault before. Her broken arm was numb by now, but the rest of her body felt heavy and as if it were detached or somehow blocked from her full control. He was careful with her, but they needed to run and the castle was crashing down around them. He knew he would jostle her, cause her more pain, but there was no choice left. Moving from the bed, he kicked the door open and peered into the hall. It was full of smoke, dense in the air. Elsa buried her face against him and he kept his head low, running with her cradled against him. He managed to get them down into the main hall, but the area was covered in burning debris. The floor above must have collapsed down, making the path near impossible.

Elsa gripped his chest, looking up from her hiding spot against his chest. She took a slow breath, seeing the scene before them.

"I'll clear it," she said weakly, lifting a shaking hand.

"No, Elsa, you don't have the strength. You can't use more magic, I don't know how much more strength you have to give. Please, you've done enough already. I can get us through this." He held her tightly to him and she whimpered, but he was just trying to be protective. He did not want to hurt her, and he looked at her in surprise and fear. He looked around the room, wondering just how he was going to make good on that offer. He was tired as well, battered and running out of his last reserves of strength of his own.

"Ian..." she shook her head and looked toward the fire in front of them. She called her magic and a beautiful, shimmering, white and blue aurora danced in front of her hand. She cast it out in a wide arch, the snowflakes melting almost immediately when they met the fire, putting out a line of it ahead of them, as best as she was able. She did not have enough strength to clear the whole room, or even the long path to the door, her eyes glazing over as she hit a point of exhaustion that she did not know how to manage. Her eyes closed and she fell completely limp in his arms, causing him to shift her against him to keep her head from lulling uncomfortably away from him.

"Elsa!"

He knew she was just trying to help them both, but now he had to worry about her as he darted forward, leaping over a smoldering piece of wood and rubble from collapse of the floor over head. He ran through the area she had managed to clear, only slowing when the flames began to reach up in front of him. He paused and cradled her to him again, supporting her against him and doing his best to shield her from any possible burns or anything else. He took a breath and charged forward, bursting through a wall of flame and slamming his shoulder into the half open door, bursting out into the courtyard and almost losing his footing. He managed to stop himself from falling forward by hauling his center of gravity backwards, falling on his butt instead, with Elsa still in his arms.

"Ian! Elsa!"

Before Ian really know what was going on, someone crashed into him and knocked him sideways a bit. Anna was clinging to him tightly, hugging him, before she kissed him on the cheek. He looked at her in surprise but she was already moving to examine Elsa, helping her out of Ian's arms. She let Elsa's head rest in her lap, looking down at her sister fearfully.

"I...is she okay?"

Ian shook his head, a little stunned. He smiled at her after a moment, though, and moved to look down at Elsa. Kristoff appeared near them as well, looking down at Elsa as well, which was strange for her when she opened her eyes to see their three faces looking down at her. Behind them, Roland and Gunnar appeared, looking flummoxed and thoroughly charred. They had gone into the castle looking for the duo, but had not managed to find them, but saw them on their escape out. They'd done their best, but the fire spread too quickly and aggressively for them to stop.

Elsa took a slow breath, looking up at the others, and smiling slowly.

"Elsa!" Anna cried happily, relief washing over her. It hit everyone else as well, and they all began to chatter excitedly and pat Elsa, helping her to sit up very carefully. She remained sitting daintily, feet wrapped to her side, leaning against Anna's shoulder for support. Ian remained close to her, in case she needed more help or if she wanted to stand. She winced in pain and had to go slowly, but felt better to be sitting up rather than laying down. She was glad to see everyone, bruised and bloody though they were. They were all alive, and as she looked to the side she saw Marshmallow sitting happily with Hans clasped in both his hands. She blinked at that sight.

"You caught him?" she asked at length, moving to stand up slowly. Anna helped her up carefully and Ian took her arm carefully. He supported her instead, not wanting Anna to hurt her leg, and Elsa clung to him lightly, her hand gripping the front of his shirt. She nodded toward Hans and Ian walked her over, scowling the closer they got to him. Hans looked down at her, not looking happy about his situation, or the fact that she was alive. She moved away from Ian, motioning for Marshmallow to lower his hands.

"You caused my family a lot of pain, Hans," she said quietly, her voice still strained from the smoke inhalation and her exhaustion. She stood regally now, though, watching him with a cold, steady gaze. Looking at her, he remembered that she was Queen, and for the first time he could really see it in her. She was graceful, proud. There was an air of power about her that was not just from the magic inside her. He growled at her, shifting in Marshmallow's grip, but unable to move. "You stole your brother's lives and well being for your power, and attacked my family, my friends, and my Kingdom. You declared war on Arendelle all on your own, and you lost. Your army is buried under the ocean, and your power is weakening. You deserve whatever fate befalls you, be it death or torment. I will pass judgment on your crimes, and arrest you in the name of my Kingdom for your many crimes. You are my prisoner now, Hans. I will not be returning you to your father this time, though he will be alerted of your actions here."

"Of that I have no doubt," Hans scoffed, shooting a withering gaze to his brother.

"Marshmallow, can you hold him until I am strong enough to take him to the dungeon myself? It may be a couple of days of you sitting here, keeping an eye on him. Can you make sure he goes absolutely no where?" She looked at her creation and the snow monster smiled at her dopily, nodding. It would do anything for Elsa, and sitting down holding on to this little guy was hardly difficult for him. He was all too happy to do it, though Hans was not going to enjoy the coming few days.

"You cannot just leave me out here! I am still a Prince!"

"No, actually, you are not. You're nothing, remember? But hey, maybe this big lug here will be interested in all your woes. Enjoy chatting with him for the next few days, hm?" Ian spoke lowly, his voice vicious and lacking any pity or concern. The warm, light hand that met his chest drew him from his anger, and he looked at Elsa as she stared up at him. His hands moved to her side gently, holding her lightly as she watched him quietly. Hans grunted and rolled his eyes.

"We should get things in order. Start rebuilding, bringing some of the workers and soldiers back into the Kingdom," Elsa said quietly, changing the subject and looking over to Anna and Kristoff. They were both standing now, too, though neither looked any better off than Elsa or Ian. They had all been through a terrible ordeal, and there was a lot to do before they had a chance to rest quietly. They did not even have a home to rest in: the castle was burned and damaged beyond being inhabitable at the moment, though they would surely be able to find a place in the Kingdom to stay that was not as badly damaged from the attack. "I'll need to send out messages to our trading partners for more supplies and aid..."

"Elsa, first we need to get you treated for your injuries, and you need to rest. You just passed out, and for a moment, you weren't even breathing!" Ian protested, and Anna made a very unpleasant sound of surprise when she heard that.

"You what?!"

"We'll get the critical necessities first, then let your soldiers and aids take care of the upkeep, while we all take some time to recover. Anna, you look like you're going to pass out now. Take a breath. Elsa's fine, I'm sorry to scare you. It was the smoke in the fire, she... she breathed too much and it stopped... but obviously it worked out."

"I'm fine, Anna, we'll talk about all this later. Ian's right... we need rest. All of us."

Except Marshmallow, who was sitting very happily, and enjoying himself in his simple task. As long as Elsa was safe and in control, that was all he needed. Elsa smiled one more time at her little friend, who was not so little, and gave a much more even and emotionless look at Hans, before she turned away and, leaning on Ian, made to leave the castle courtyard. She had to go slowly, but none of them were in a great rush.

"We'll go back to the camp," Gunnar spoke up, "and get some of the soldiers and doctors back. You find some place to rest and we'll leave once you're settled, and know where to bring them."

"Thank you, both of you. You've been invaluable to us," Elsa said warmly, and the two bowed in unison, almost bumping into each other.

"I bet this place is nice, all cleaned up," Roland said as he straightened up, smiling at Elsa knowingly, "I might look in to finding a little place here. Maybe living in a Kingdom isn't so bad any more, eh? What do you think, Gunnar?"

"I hear the royalty here is very kind," the other man said with a smirk. Roland laughed and clapped him on the back. They chattered and laughed as the whole group moved into a nearby building, one of the servant houses for the castle. It was currently abandoned, but it was comfortable and undamaged: a good enough place to lay down and rest a while.


	21. Chapter 21

Getting the Kingdom back in order was a slow process. As promised, Elsa and the others needed three days before they were able to start worrying about the Kingdom and their prisoner. Marshmallow kept to his duty and held on to Hans like an unyielding vice, not allowing him any wiggle room, while not crushing him to death. He was brought food and water, and was taken care of fleetingly to keep him alive, but he was a prisoner of the giant monster and had no way of escaping. His magic had failed him, and when he tried to summon it, it left burns on his skin where he used it. His ties to his blood, his brothers, were somehow broken or interrupted. Perhaps he had simply just pushed his limits too far.

Whatever the case, he was stuck.

Elsa spent her time in bed, with a very protective Prince hovering over her. She was resting in one of the beds of the servant's quarters, two very trusty, newly appointed Captains of her guard at the door, just in case. The Queen had enjoyed her few days in bed, for what they were. She gathered a lot of her strength back, and her physicians treated her injuries far better than she had been able to, giving her drafts to ease her pain. The others all got similar care, but Elsa was bedridden longer due to the strain of using her magic and pushing her body so far. Her arm was completely immobilized and secure in a sling.

Ian made sure she was undisturbed and allowed to rest, though that, in turn, got her a bit restless. He began to notice around the second day, and came in with a book to read with her. They were inseparable after that, and he read to her a few times a day until she was ready to start exercising and walking around, though under supervision and for limited times. The court doctor was not willing to push her too far, either, but that likely had something to do with the fact that she was the Queen, and he had never had a more important patient.

Anna and Kristoff were up and about on the second day, though not to the pleasure of their doctors. They simply had no one to reign them is, as Elsa had Ian. Anna and Kristoff were too much alike, sometimes, and since neither of them took to inactivity very well, they were all too happy to get back to helping the Kingdom get back on its feet. Anna relayed orders from Elsa, and got the building and restoration efforts underway, more and more people able to return to the Kingdom each day. The castle needed a lot of work, but there were more than enough volunteers to get it rolling quickly and efficiently.

Stories of the epic confrontation spread rapidly, the heroic group of royals and soldiers held in high esteem by the citizens that could not stop talking about it on the streets. These were rumors Anna was much happier to hear, considering what she had been listening to not too long ago. Now no one doubted the loyalty and love of their Queen, their Princess, or the mysterious new Prince that seemed to have captured the eldest daughter of Arendelle's attention.

That was also something Anna did not fail to miss.

She saw the way Ian waited for Elsa to wake up each day, and was delighted when he could go in and spend time with her, read to her, and make sure she was healing well. He smiled any time she spoke to him, or someone asked him about how she was doing. He was very patient and thorough in his attention to her, not letting anything slip by his knowledge or care. Her well being was almost mort important than his own, to him at least, though he did make sure his injuries were tended to. Mostly out of the need to be healthy, in order to take proper care of her.

On this fourth day of healing, Anna found Elsa in her room, just finishing pulling on a light shawl to cover her shoulders, though she was not bothered by cold and only wore it out of habit from her upbringing, and to keep up appearances. She was dressed in the colors of Arendelle, and her dress was beautiful, not overly ornate but form fitting and decorated in subtle, but beautiful adornments of gold. Even her sling matched her outfit. She turned when she heard the door, surprised to see Anna.

That just made Anna grin broadly.

"You look beautiful, Elsa. Are you going out today? Are you sure you're ready?"

"I have to deal with Hans today, I can't leave poor Marshmallow sitting there for eternity. I thought I would uhm... dress like a Queen, I suppose... is it too much? Should I just wear something more common?" Elsa looked worried, looking at herself in a mirror on a vanity. She pushed a wisp of stray hair back from her forehead, though it fell right back where it had been. A second effort had the same impact, and she sighed, watching as Anna approached her in the mirror. Stooping down, Anna smiled at her from over her shoulder, reaching to brush the stray wisp of hair to the side instead, where it sat contentedly.

"You look beautiful, Elsa. I already said that. You are a Queen, why not dress like one? I'm sure it will give you more authority with Hans... and Ian will like it too, no doubt about that. He'd be crazy not to notice."

Elsa turned bright red, turning to look at her sister directly, rather than through the relative safety of the mirror.

"Anna! What are you talking about?"

"You're blushing! You can't tell me you're the only person in this entire Kingdom that doesn't know what's going on, can you? You like him. The way he looks at you, you might even love him. He certainly loves you, the care he's giving you."

"Oh Anna, not all this talk of love again... I barely know him, but for all the trouble we've been through... he saved my life. More than once. I owe him everything, and I... I do want to get to know him... do... do you think he really lo... h-has feelings for me?" She felt like she was trying to do something completely new, as though she was supposed to be a master of a skill she had only just learned. She had no idea what she was doing and felt thoroughly overwhelmed because of it. Anna had figured it out much easier than Elsa herself, which was at once troubling and a relief.

"Elsa, you're adorable. You really are. You're so good at being Queen, but you need to loosen up. It's okay to trust your heart every now and then, and let your emotions guide you. Like in this situation, with him. Just let your heart tell you what to do and, for once, ignore your head."

Elsa looked at Anna and opened her mouth to say something, but a knock at the open door drew her attention. Ian peered into the room, looking none the wiser, but whatever it was he had come to talk to Elsa about was immediately forgotten as he took in her appearance. Since they'd met he had only seen her in rags or peasant clothes. Seeing her in that dress knocked his brain for a loop and it had to shut down out of sheer and dire survival instincts. He stared at her blankly as his brain rebooted, blinking and shaking his head when he remembered how to speak.

"You... I... uhm. I... er... sorry."

Well, he remembered a handful of words, anyway.

"Ah... Ian. I was hoping you might join me... I am going to transfer your brother to the dungeon, and pass judgment on him. I thought you might like to be there for it." She held her posture, demure but controlled, and Anna could not help but roll her eyes. She elbowed Elsa, who stubbornly ignored her while struggling to keep her herself from blushing again.

"Yes, of course, your majesty. I would be honored. It will be nice to see him finally sorted out, whatever it is you decide is punishment enough for him."

For Ian, there was no punishment strong enough for Hans. Not even death would be fitting enough, and that was the one he had been aiming for in their previous battle. He moved in to hold the door for her, though it stayed open on its own, and she nodded her head in thanks, passing by him with her eyes glued to the floor. Ian watched her go, then glanced over at Anna, whose eyebrows lifted and she nodded her head in the direction Elsa had gone. Flustered, Ian nodded and followed after the Queen, catching up quickly.

Gunnar and Roland watched the duo as they left, and had been listening to the exchanges inside. They kept silent about it, though.

"Are you ready for what this might mean? You understand the gravity of what Hans has done... and the seriousness of his crimes? Are you... are you sure you've rested enough to be facing this right now?" The adventure had been a trying and terrible time for Elsa, that Ian knew first hand. She had suffered profoundly, both physically and emotionally, and he did not want Hans to prey on that as a weakness. The man was capable of anything, and was not above picking at any crack in her defenses that he could find.

"I will be all right, I'm sure. I'm glad you're coming with me, though. I just hope this won't be difficult for you, either. He is your brother..."

"No," Ian said, with a sad smile, "he isn't."

The two walked in silence after that, though Ian did offer her his arm and she hooked hers with it, walking with him without much of a hurry in her step. They were not too far from the courtyard and the castle, anyway, so the silence between them did not last for too long. Ian could not help but smile when he saw Marshmallow sitting there, right where they had left him, holding his hands together contentedly with Hans still trapped in his hold. Hans looked up when Elsa cleared her throat, stepping away from Ian to stand in front of Hans on her own.

"Good morning, Hans," she said quietly, and he grumbled something rude in response. He was decidedly not in the best mood, but she supposed she could understand that. He had been made to suffer a lot of indignity over the last few days, and of course he had not been able to move very much. Hans lifted his head a bit more to look at her, taking in her dress and the authoritative way she was holding herself. The Queen was back again, the one he had glimpsed before. She had changed, far more than he had been willing to give her credit for before. Or perhaps he had simply not known her.

"Queen Elsa. A pleasure. Forgive me for not freshening up for this visit."

"I see that would be a little difficult for you. But our castle is fixed enough to transfer you to our dungeon."

"And how long will I be there?"

"Not long. Your father has been in contact with us, and given his permission to return you to him for sentencing. He will not consider banishment as an option this time, and assures me you will never step foot in my lands again. That is all I can ask for." She did not look back at Ian, not wanting to see his surprised face. She was being very lenient and gracious, giving Hans another chance that he did not deserve. Hans watched her as well, suspecting some sort of trap, then growled.

"Am I supposed to thank you, for allowing me to continue this pathetic charade called a life?"

"I do not expect anything of you, Hans."

Elsa looked at Marshmallow and nodded her head. He moved to open his hands and let Hans go, the young man immediately falling to his knees from lack of strength. Ian moved to him and hauled him up, holding his hands behind his back and keeping him in place firmly. The Queen led the way into the castle, not needing guards to help her since she had Ian with her. If he had not accepted her request, she would have brought the new Captains. They passed through the castle, down to the dungeons, and Ian shoved Hans into one of the cells. Elsa nodded and moved to stand in the doorway of the cell, watching her prisoner somberly for a potent stretch of time. Ian stood behind her, still on his guard.

"So, this is how it all ends, then," Hans said, though he seemed to be speaking mostly to himself. "Shipped right back where I started, likely to be put to death. Why not save us all some time and do it yourself, Elsa?"

"I will not give you the satisfaction of leaving your blood on my hands. It is more fitting for you to be in your own land."

"I have no land."

"Be that as it may, you are not welcome in Arendelle. Dead or alive."

"I see now why they call you the Snow Queen, Elsa. Not for your powers, but your cold resolve. How strange that you will send me away, after all the things I've done, all the people I've hurt and killed from your Kingdom, because you do not want to feel guilty for killing me."

"I'm giving you a chance, Hans. It's more than you deserve. I did not get to see my father before he died, and I did not get a chance to say goodbye to him or my mother, not knowing what was about to happen. Though you have burned the bridge between you and your father... I thought maybe seeing him one last time might be fair for you both, and something you father will be able to live with, after all is said and done."

"Sentimental little fool," Hans spat, and he lunged at her suddenly, fire engulfing his hand, though it burned his skin badly now. He pulled his arm back to strike her, and Ian moved to grab her shoulder and try to pull her out of the line of fire, quite literally. Elsa was not weakened and not injured, at least not without proper care this time, and was fast on her instinctive response. He hand flashed up and magic burst from her hand, a bolt of icy magic striking Ian square in the chest and seeping into his body, halting him and dropping him to his knees. He looked up at her, eyes wide. "What have you done?" He asked, already knowing the answer.

Elsa watched him with a sad gaze, looking disappointed more than anything else. She shook her head sadly.

"I have frozen your heart. I supposed it's fitting, considering, but it's not what I wanted to do. I'm sorry, Hans." She felt Ian's hand on her shoulder and took a step back, closing the barred door of the cell behind her. It locked automatically as Hans remained on his knees, staring at the ground. A frozen heart had only one cure, and it was unlikely he would be able to find it in time to save himself. An act of true love, by him or for him, would spare him from freezing completely. Unfortunately, he had frozen his heart from others far before Elsa had ever gotten to it.

She looked at Ian, who nodded his head gently. They left Hans to his thoughts and to his fate, Elsa ordering a message to be sent back to the King of the Southern Isles, as quickly as possible. She wrote out what happened, and sent her condolences and apologies. It was unlikely Hans would make a trip back, though the message had a chance of reaching the King before the worst happened.

It was all up to fate now.

Walking away from the dungeon and back into the mostly restored castle, Elsa leaned on Ian's arm and tried not to think too hard about anything. They reached the main floor, and Elsa asked to explore the rest of the castle, to see how things were going. It was a nice distraction, at least, and she liked seeing the progress that had been made. Most of the fire wreckage had already been cleaned up, and the castle was looking very good, considering.

She went into her throne room, looking around thoughtfully and smiling at how nice it looked. This had been the site of the battle, after all, and she was surprised they had been able to clean it all up so fast. There were still some damages to be cleaned and fixed, but the room was not the charred mess it had been before, and her throne had even been replaced.

Running her hand over the arm of the chair, she smiled and looked back at Ian, surprised to find him standing nearer to her than she thought. He lifted his hand and touched her face lightly, running his thumb over her cheek and looking at the bruises that were fading quickly now, the wound over her temple from where she had been knocked unconscious healing well. She watched him timidly, admiring his gentle, familiar face. How she had thought he looked like Hans was beyond her now. All she saw was Ian.

"Are you... are you okay?" she asked gently, lifting her hand and placing it over his as he pressed his palm to her cheek. She closed her eyes with the touch and felt him guiding her forward, toward him. Afraid of what might happen if she opened her eyes, she kept them closed.

"When we were in this place, in the other room, trying to get away from all that fire, I kissed you. When you woke up from nearly dying, and I thought I had nearly lost you. It was a moment borne of panic and fear... but kissing you felt... nice." He was very close as he spoke, his lips brushing hers and sending shudders down her spine. Her heart felt fluttery and knees weak. She moved her hand from his, placing it instead on his chest and gripping his shirt.

"Ian..."

"I would like to kiss you again, Queen Elsa, if that's alright. No panic, no fear. I just want to kiss you."

"I want that, too. For you to kiss me, I mean."

"That's good to hear."

Ian moved toward her, closing his eyes and kissing her deeply, catching her by surprise since she had not been watching, though she knew it was coming. She did not resist this time, returning the kiss and deepening it affectionately. She hummed at the feeling of his lips against her, the warmth that flooded through her. It was much different to the kiss before, now that she could focus on it, enjoy it, and savor it for what it was. She could feel the depth of his emotions for her, and knew vividly that her own feelings for him were stronger than she would ever be able to say out loud. She was so withdrawn, especially when it came to relationships, that something like this was unfathomable to her. She had never even imagined it, and her nerves were evident in the way her quivered when he drew away. She looked at him now, her expression anxious for a moment, but a smile tugged the corner of her lips upwards, and she moved to kiss him again.

This time his arms wrapped around her and he tugged her to him, walking her backwards until her legs tapped the front of the throne and he sank her into it, bending over her as her back pressed against the soft plush of the chair. She couldn't help the moan that was dragged from her throat with the kiss, gripping his shirt and not letting him draw back this time. Her emotions took over and she lost herself to the wonderful feeling her inspired in her, finally breaking the kiss and seeing him breath out a puff for frozen air. He stared at her with his mouth hanging slightly open from surprise.

"Oh, I could get used to this," he said, grinning at her and licking his lips, feeling the sting of warmth suddenly meeting cold. She smiled at him sheepishly, though there was a coy, playful glimmer in her eyes and am attitude in her body language that made his blood run cold and hot at once.

"I'll make sure you never do," she said breathily, her chest rising and falling heavily as she watched him, her ice blue eyes burning now. He could not help but be drawn back to her, kissing her deeply once more, her tantalizing promise ringing in his head.

"Is that a challenge?" He asked, when he took a moment to catch his breath. He could hardly hear his own voice over the pulsing of his heart in his ears. Her face was flushed red, and he could hardly keep himself from kissing her again, quickly addicted to the feel, the taste of her lips, and needing her touch like he needed oxygen. He did not even let her respond that time, her words muffled against his mouth, her fingers digging into his chest almost painfully.

"I need you by my side, Ian, to help us repair Arendelle," she spoke seriously when she finally could, holding on to him still, gazing into his eyes, "but I want you by my side, because I cannot imagine you not being there now. Will you stay here with me, for a little while at the very least?"

"Far more than the very least. As long as you will have me, or until you tire of my company. My place is at your side, my Queen."

"I am glad to hear that, my Prince." They kissed again and she smiled against his lips, giggling as he pulled back, his eyebrows arched in wonder and amusement, her smile infectious and making him laugh as well.

"What is it, Elsa?"

"Let's just not tell Anna about this, not right away. She's going to have a lot to say about all of this."

"Roland and Gunnar, too."

He grinned at her and she laughed as he tugged her up from the throne, hugging her to him and lifting her up off the ground, mindful of her still healing form but spinning her around before he set her down on the floor in front of him, looking down at her as he smiled, admiring her beauty without needing to hide it now. She smiled at him radiantly, laughing at the idea of them all chattering about this newly budding relationship.

"Then we'll just not tell them, and leave them guessing."

"Oh, that won't be necessary. I think we can figure it out pretty easily at this point." Anna's voice caught them both completely off guard, and Elsa immediate buried herself against Ian's chest, hiding her face away and not daring to look toward the door to the throne room. Ian did, though, and saw Anna, Kristoff, Gunnar and Roland all standing in the doorway, each one grinning ear to ear at them. Elsa peeked out from her hiding spot with one eye, letting out a laugh of misery as Ian wrapped his arms around her protectively. Anna lead the charge into the room, and cheers of congratulations and approval rang out, laughter filling the castle.


End file.
